


Ripples

by OnesieQueen16



Category: Blood+ (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2019-12-18 18:11:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18255182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnesieQueen16/pseuds/OnesieQueen16
Summary: Her song beckoned and laughed. The other's song repulsed and wailed. Together, they created a beautiful harmony. But what would adding in one dissonance do? "Do not pretend that you care about our Diva. You truly aim to kill her just like her sister." An angry snarl. "I aim to SAVE Diva." It turns out, everything would change.





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Blood+ in any way, shape, or form. 

* * *

**Ripples.**

_Chapter O.N.E._

_"Merge"_

"The future is bright as two great companies merge together." -Gary Gall

* * *

  _"Once upon a time, in a land known for its rich history and fertile soil, two beautiful children were born in a grand castle."_

 _A small voice interjected excitedly, awe clouding her voice. "A castle?! That means they're princesses!"_   _Green eyes sparkled behind auburn bangs, a beaming smile splitting her lips. She loved stories involving princesses. It was rare her mother ever indulged those fantasies, not wanting to immerse her only child in such wild thoughts and would rather her focus on reality, but tonight had to be a special occasion. For why else would her serious mother break one of her rules just to tell a bedtime story?_

_The older woman chuckled lowly, gently running her fingers through her daughter's unruly hair. She absently noted that she needed a haircut again soon. It was getting to be past her shoulders. "Why assume the children are girls?" She teased. "Boys can be beautiful, too."_

_The child scrunched her nose up, clearly disagreeing with her mother. "No they can't," She denied with all the surety of a six year old. "Girls are beautiful and boys are gross."_

_Her mother shook her head at the childish logic, but gave a small smile anyway. "Alright, the two children are princesses. However, like most stories, their is tragedy in the beginning. The two girls lost their mother at childbirth, leaving them to be raised by their widowed grandfather. Their grandfather was a very important man, well known by his community as being wealthy and kind to all he meets. However, underneath his kindness, he hid a terrible secret from his community."_

_The child's eyes widened comically, leaning closer and whispering, "A terrible secret?"  She pulled her crème blanket closer to her face, hiding partially under it so only her eyes were barely visible through her bangs._

_Her mother nodded her head. "Both girls were separated almost immediately after birth, one being given up and the other he kept as his own, raising her like she was his own child. She grew up spoiled rotten and denied little in her life, while the other one suffered in silence, neither girls aware that the other even existed."_

_A choked gasp and the little girl looked near close to tears. "That's horrible, Momma. Why would he do that? They're family, aren't they?"  The child hoped there was a happy ending for the beautiful princesses. That's how all her other stories ended, so in her mind, that's how this new story should end. With a happy ending and a happily ever after._

_Her mother's eyes seemed to soften, but the little girl couldn't tell what the emotion in her eyes was. She never had been good about reading her mother's emotions. "Eventually, there came a time when the sisters were reunited. Many obstacles attempted to keep the two apart, but now that they had found each other, they were loathe to let anything stop them from being separated again. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for the princesses."_

_Small shoulders hunched downwards and she found that she didn't really like this story anymore. Why did it have to be so sad? "What happened?" She asked softly, peering into her mother's hazel eyes._

_Strong arms encased her child into an embrace, drawing her closer as she huddled into the safety her mother provided. "The younger one was killed by someone she had admired," She murmured, shushing her daughter's growing sniffles and caressing her bangs soothingly. "And the older one went mad with grief and anger, razing the once beautiful land in flames and blood to avenge her sister's death."_

_"She blamed her people for her sister's death?" Thin eyebrows pulled down in confusion as she wiped stubbornly at the tears in her eyes. She shifted in her mother's arms until she was propped up on her own and facing her parent properly. "But it wasn't their fault?"_

_Her mother's cropped hair shook back and forth. "One day, and I hope you never have to experience this, if you ever lose the one you hold closest to your heart and they were ripped away so savagely because of petty reasons like the youngest princess had been, you will understand why the older princess did what she did."_

_She cocked her head to the side, confused but accepted the vague explanation. "What happened to the older princess?"_

_Her mother sighed and leaned back into the wall behind her. "Years later, once her vengeance had been sated, the oldest princess fell into a state of depression and sorrow, disgusted with herself for the havoc and deaths she had caused. Taking her sister's deceased body and going into hiding, she cast a powerful spell over herself, forcing herself into an eternity long sleep so that she would never have to experience the loss of another loved one again. Her body was never found."_

_Such a sad story. The little girl pitied the lives of the two princesses even though they didn't exist. They didn't deserve to live the life they had. They hadn't even done anything wrong. "That was very sad," She said quietly._

_Her mother pulled her child across her lap, holding her to her chest tightly. "Never forget the message in the story, sweet one," Her mother whispered into her head. "Even family is capable of doing heinous crimes to ones that should be loved."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her song beckoned and laughed. The other's song repulsed and wailed. Together, they created a beautiful harmony. But what would adding in one dissonance do? "Do not pretend that you care about our Diva. You truly aim to kill her just like her sister." An angry snarl. "I aim to SAVE Diva." It turns out, everything would change.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Blood+ in any way, shape, or form. Just my wonderful OC creations.

* * *

**Ripples.**

_Chapter T.W.O._

_"Watching"_

 _"Someone will always be watching our every move, judging our every action, reaction, and attitude. We can not hope to change this fact." -_ Ammon McQueen

* * *

_"One day you will understand, sweet one."_

_But when will that day come, Mother?_

A spring breeze wafted in from the open classroom windows, caressing the skin of my face as I stared longingly out at the school grounds. It was so nice outside and we were stuck inside for a class that was in no way helpful.  Lycèe De Cinq Flèches was supposed to be a prestigious school for young women, but it felt like it was lacking in the prestigious department. The classroom was spacious and beautifully decorated, but it felt more like a flaunting of wealth than anything else. 

How long had it been since I had actually been outside of the school grounds? Other than the yearly Hanoi trip, when had I been able to travel without searching for permission from the matron and Chairman? Two years? Three? 

I gave myself a mental shake. I shouldn't lie to myself.  _Seven years._

Had it really been that long? 

_"Hey, hey. Did you hear?! We're getting another transfer student in today!"_

_"Another one? Are you sure?"_

_"I heard Ms. Lee talking to the Chairman about it."_

_"You mean you were eavesdropping."_

I hid a grimace behind my hand.  _All this noise because of some new transfer? How annoying._

Fingers snapped impatiently in front of my face, demanding my attention. I reared back, surprised, and looked up at the blue eyes frowning down at me. "Were you even listening to me, Hayden?" She sighed, sounding exasperated. Bright sunlight from the afternoon sun shone into the spacey classroom, haloing the blond and brunette heads of my classmates. The girl beside me was no different, platinum hair almost shimmering magically around her face. She looked like an angel. 

_Hailey. My sister. My beautiful, talented sister._

"No, sorry," I apologized, straightening up so that I wasn't leaning over my desk anymore. The whispers of the other girls disappeared as I focused my attention on her. "What did you say again, Hailey?"

Huffing, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked, "What were you thinking about just now that had you tuning me out like that?" 

"Nothing." Blue eyes clearly didn't believe me, searching my green ones inquiringly. "Really, it's nothing important." 

She was silent for only a second. "Is it because of the rumors?" 

Even now, as I shifted in my seat under Hailey's wondering gaze, I could feel the eyes of my classmates on my form, burning holes into my skin as they searched for the facts that the rumors were accusing me of. Their whispers followed me all throughout the school day, always reaching my ears and never failing to leave me feeling prickly and annoyed. Who did these fickle girls think they were, spreading such lies so casually without ever going straight to the source to confirm their curiosity? 

_Girls can be so cruel anymore._

"I don't care what they say," I murmured under my breath, glaring at a couple of girls near the window who were blatantly staring at me. They jumped at my stare and hurriedly turned away with red faces. 

Hailey hummed, noticing the exchange. "But it does bother you." 

"I just wish they would mind their own damn business." Honestly, it wasn't hard to go about one's business without involving yourself in someone else's. But these girls made it seem like it was the most complicated thing in the world.

"That's impossible with Anna-Marie around," Hailey snorted quietly. "That girl has ears everywhere."

"That's probably why she's Ms. Lee's favorite. She's certainly not the teacher's pet because she's top of the class."

Hailey preened and smiled smugly. "That title goes to me." She tapped her fingers on my arm. "But you're not very far behind. Fifth in the class isn't that bad. You'd be at least second if you applied yourself more."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm ready to be done with this place. I couldn't give a second thought about what my ranking is anymore. The second I graduate in the fall, I'm gone."  

Hailey's face shifted into something like longing. Want. Sadness. Her voice was low and I had to strain to hear her over the chatter. "You'll come back for me, right? Once I graduate next year?" 

"Without a doubt," I promised, holding a pinky out to her. She didn't really care for the childish pinky promises that had made up our childhood anymore, but her lips twitched upwards just the slightest and she hooked hers around mine anyway. "Sisters have to stick together, right?" 

"For sure," She agreed before switching topics. "Have you heard what's been happening on the news recently?" 

I gave her a disinterested look. "Do I look like the type to care what happens around the world?" 

She rolled her eyes. "At least show some interest," She said sarcastically. "But no, you won't believe what's been going on in Okinawa. There's been a lot of people disappearing and mysterious deaths happening." 

Sounded like a serial killer. But that was strange to happen in Okinawa of all places. Sure, it wasn't exempt from the random killers, but you hear more about serial killers surfacing in the States than Okinawa. I voiced my thoughts to her, Hailey nodding in agreement. "It's so strange," She admitted. "I guess the U.S. military has been getting involved with the murders and they're being very hush hush about it."

"That's weird that the U.S. military is getting so involved with Japanese affairs," I said, confused. Why wasn't the Japanese military handling the cases? Japan and America were allies, but this felt like too much.

"Get this," Hailey whispered, leaning towards me and lowering her voice, "I've been reading that the victims being found? They're all completely drained of blood and horribly deformed."  

Blinking in surprise, I raised my head. Drained of blood? "Seriously?" Why was she even interested in a case like this? It was like something right out of a bad crime show. 

Hailey bobbed her head vigorously. "Yeah! I didn't believe it at first, but then I did some serious digging and found that it's all one hundred percent true!" 

"Your detective skills are scary," I murmured, dropping the conversation and hoping she got the hint that I didn't want to talk about it anymore. Shivers cascaded up and down my spine as the thought of a broken body appeared in my mind. How terrifying. I pitied the people in Okinawa for the dilemma they were going through, but for once, I was glad to be in Vietnam. 

My sister's face suddenly lit up with realization and she leaned her side against my desk, inching closer to my face so she could whisper, "Ms. Lee wanted me to tell you that you need to meet her at the courtyard entrance after class ends. She says to be discreet." 

I frowned, nervously twirling a strand of long hair around my finger. Was I in trouble again? What had I done now? "Do you know why?" 

Hailey shrugged and sat up, resting more firmly against my desk so that all of her weight was now on her left hand. "She didn't say," Was all she said. 

I resisted heaving a sigh, laying over crossed arms and watching Hailey in my peripherals. "Of course she didn't." 

"She might want you to show around the new girl," Hailey admitted, looking contemplative. "It wouldn't be the first time she's had you do a tour for someone." 

For some unfathomable reason, Ms. Lee liked to believe I was the perfect tour guide for new students or visitors. Strangers were always uncomfortable with how flat and monotone my normal speaking voice was, perceiving my words as rude and uncaring, but never complaining about my lack of enthusiasm to the matron. They never had to say how uncomfortable I made them, but I could easily see it in their eyes. 

"Honestly," I grumbled. "That woman irritates me when she does this to me." 

"Don't mind the small details," Hailey dismissed, waving a hand at me. She was always so free-spirited, uncaring of what circumstances popped up and just rolling with them. I envied her for that trait. Change was not something I embraced so casually. "The sooner you get it done, the faster you can move on with your day." 

"Tsk," I clicked my tongue, annoyed with her logic, but reluctantly accepting it. "Anna-Marie would be more suited for this shit than me." As if she had heard me from across the room, said girl turned her head and narrowed azure eyes at me. Sneering, I gave the girl a mocking wave. She sniffed and turned her nose up at me. Ms. Lee chose that moment to walk into the room just as the bell rang, silencing all conversations with just her presence.

"Sit down, girls," She commanded, sharp eyes roving over all of the standing girls who hurried to sit down. "The bell has rung. Class has started." 

* * *

The girl in front of me shuffled awkwardly in place, picking at the sleeves of her Ao Dai uniform and looking anywhere but me. Part of me felt slightly offended. I knew I didn't have the most welcoming face, but did I really install that bad of a vibe into the new girl? The rational side of me chided that she was probably shy being in such a big place and not knowing anyone, so I tried my hardest to not sound like a total troll to her. 

"You're Saya, right?" I asked, watching her jump as I said her name. Burgundy eyes flicked to my green ones. I tilted my head, waiting for her to introduce herself. She caught the hint a couple seconds later, flushing pink as she hastily bowed her head to me. 

"Y-Yes, sorry," She apologized. "My name is Saya Otonashi, a first year transfer student from Okinawa." 

 _You sound like you've been rehearsing that line for the past few hours._ I ignored the snide thought and hoped it didn't show on my face. "I'm Hayden Walters, a third year here at the school." I beckoned her to follow me. "I'm supposed to show you around and explain the rules. If you have any questions, just ask." 

It became very clear that Saya Otonashi was a strange girl. Everything about the boarding school fascinated the black-haired girl, from the old fashioned architecture to the garden that took up the majority of the courtyard by the bell tower. It was like she had been transported back in time and was seeing things for the first time. Not able to blame the girl as I knew I had looked the same when I had came here seven years ago with Hailey under the guardianship of Ms. Lee, I didn't comment on it and merely pointed out the important places that she would need to know about during her time here. 

There was nothing overtly fantastic about the school. It was old fashioned and could use some modernization, but the gardens around the campus made up for its lack of taste. The Chairman had a strange obsession with flowers, specifically roses, and it showed from all the rose bushes that dotted the whole school. They were meticulously cared for by the gardener and has never failed to earn the approval from the Chairman for his work. 

"There are so many roses," Saya whispered, appraising the many different colored roses. Her eyes seemed to particularly enjoy the red ones.  _Love. Romance._

"Our Chairman is very fond of them," Was all I said, reaching out and fingering the soft petals of a yellow rose.  _Jealousy. Infidelity._

"They're beautiful," She said. "Whoever is caring for them is definitely spoiling all of them." 

"Of course," I stated. It wouldn't be any other way. Anything less would be an insult. 

Burgundy eyes glanced sideways sheepishly, fingers twiddling nervously. "You don't like talking much, do you? Am I bothering you with small talk?" 

I forced my face to soften from the unconscious grimace it had morphed into and shook my head. I lowered my hand from the yellow rose, but didn't turn to look at Saya. "You're fine," I reassured.

Out of the corner of my eye, Saya startled when the clock tower bell chimed its evening toll, glancing around in confusion. "That's the dinner bell," I explained, motioning towards the church. 

"I..hadn't realized it was late already," Saya said, looking towards the sky. The sun was just barely starting to set with the sky faintly losing its blue hue and being replaced with various shades of oranges. I wondered if she had such melancholy sunsets like this in Okinawa. 

"With summer rolling around, the sun will take longer to set," I said dully, used to the awed expressions from foreigners. "It takes some getting used to." Glancing around, I failed to hide a small scowl when I didn't see Saya's roommate, Min, in sight. "Damn it, where is that girl? I told her to meet me here before dinner started." Saya gave a small giggle before realizing what she'd done and hastily covering her mouth. I waved off her attempt to say sorry. "Don't apologize to me. It'll take more than that to offend me." 

_And yet I had gotten offended not even twenty minutes ago when I thought she was afraid of me._

Saya smiled, albeit awkwardly. It baffled me that she was really this unsettled around me and I belatedly wondered if it was the case with every new stranger she met. "You're very straight forward, Ms. Walters," She commented. 

My lips twisted at the formality and quickly corrected her. "Just Hayden, please. I despise being called that. It comes from growing up in the States, unfortunately. No sense of filter whatsoever." 

Burgundy eyes lit up and she excitedly asked, "You're from the States? That's incredible. Why are you all the way in Vietnam for school?" 

It wasn't her fault that she had hit a nerve mentioning my move here to Vietnam, but the cold smile I gave her was a reflex and I hated the way she recoiled from me at the expression. "There are lots of girls here who come from different family situations," I chided her as gently as I could. How could she have known that this boarding school housed rich girls who had troubled home lives and would not take too kindly to her callously asking such questions? It was better I break it to her and not someone like Anna-Marie. "My family situation unfortunately forced me to come to Vietnam for school without my entire consent." 

"Stop scaring the poor girl, Hayden," A voice chastised as Saya sputtered with her words, unsure how to respond to my comment. Hailey slid up to my side, nudging my arm. "She was only asking an innocent question. You're making her feel very unwelcome, you know." 

"N-No, no, it's alright!" Saya hastened to say, waving her hands at my sister. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry." 

Hailey grinned at her, straight teeth on full display. Her smile seemed to put Saya at ease as the tension in her shoulders dropped and her posture relaxed. "Ignore her. She's always like this." My sister laughed lightly. "Take everything she says with a grain of salt and you two will get along just fine." 

"That's not what everyone else says," I grumbled, crossing my arms. "Shouldn't you be at dinner? The bell rang five minutes ago." 

Hailey rolled her eyes at me. "Dinner isn't mandatory. What's Ms. Lee gonna do if I skip one meal? Write me up? She may be our guardian, but she can't force me to eat." Hailey held her hand out to Saya, who carefully shook it. "I'm Hailey Smith, a second year. It's nice to meet you." 

"Saya Otonashi. A pleasure."

"You're from Okinawa, right?" Hailey asked. "Which area?" 

Warmth seeped into Saya's eyes at the mention of her home. I pursed my lips and looked away. She was too bright. "Koza," She said fondly. 

Hailey hummed, managing to look disappointed. "Damn. I was hoping you'd be more South than Koza." 

"Why were you hoping for that?" I mumbled. "We don't have family in Okinawa, so there's nothing there that could possibly interest us." 

Blue eyes gave me a very unimpressed look. 

A shaky laugh left Saya, capturing my sister's attention. "There's really not much to sightsee in Okinawa. It's pretty boring honestly." 

_I'm petitioning to never be a guide again. This is way too awkward._

"I'm sure that's not true," Hailey said. She reached for Saya's hand, who hesitantly let her grab it. "Come on. I'll give you a more in-depth tour than I'm sure Hayden did." My sister glared at me out of the corner of her eye. "You're coming, too, Hayden." 

Hissing under my breath, I followed behind my sister with folded arms, staying quiet as she led Saya around in a circle and excitedly telling her little things about the school that would make her time here more enjoyable. 

"Classes here are pretty boring, but we have stables filled with numerous breeds of horses near the fields and an archery area just behind the chapel to keep things interesting," Hailey explained as we walked around said chapel. In the distance, the whinnying of horses could be heard and Saya looked in that general direction with clear interest. "Ms. Lee doesn't approve of them, though. She thinks such activities are barbaric and unbecoming of a lady, but God bless the Chairman that he disapproves of that." 

"I've never ridden a horse before," Saya admitted. "It sounds exciting." Curiously, she asked, "Are you two familiar with horseback riding?" 

Hailey giggled, nodding. "Oh, yes!" She pointed cheekily at me. "Hayden is one of the best riders at the school, besting me by a landslide. Anna-Marie absolutely hates it." 

Saya looked at me with a new sort of appreciation that made my face warm slightly. I coughed to hide my embarrassment. "It's not really anything noteworthy," I said quietly. 

Saya vigorously shook her head, saying, "I think it's wonderful! I've heard that riding horses takes a lot of time and talent just to be comfortable on them." 

Flattery was definitely this girl's strongest point. And it was beginning to work on me, too. 

"You know, Hayden," Hailey started. I immediately did not like that mischievous look on her face. "I'm sure Saya would love for you to teach her when you have the time. It'll be a great bonding experience for you two." Could she have made that any cheesier sounding? Dear Lord.  

"Oh please, Hayden!" Saya left Hailey's side to grasp my hands eagerly, bringing them closer to her face. If she felt me tense, she ignored it or didn't feel it in her excitement to learn. "Would you please? I would love to learn!"

Mentally cursing my sister and keeping the irritation in me in check, I said, "I can do that." 

The happiness that practically enveloped the shorter girl was infectious. A barely there smile graced my lips at the childish beam Saya gave me. It flattened when as we rounded the chapel to head back towards the courtyard, Saya's eyes lingered curiously on a fenced off area that looked very unkept and dirty. Hailey noticed the look as well and hurriedly ushered Saya away with a gentle nudge. 

"So what do you think of the school now, Saya?" Hailey inquired when we came to a stop. "Think you'll like it here?" Said girl spun to look at us, hands clasped behind her back and rocking back on her heels. 

"For sure!" She exclaimed. Her head tilted, eyes captured once again on the roses. "This place is beautiful. I don't think I'll mind it here at all." 

"I think that'll change after a week," I said under my breath. My sister elbowed my side sharply at that. A strange look crossed Saya's face before she tried to cover it up. Hailey, perceptive that my sister was, noticed it instantly. 

"Something bothering you, Saya?" 

A pause. Probably to collect her thoughts. "Are you two...related?" 

I blinked, surprised at the question. Where had that thought come from? "That was out of the blue," I noted.

Hailey smiled impishly. "What makes you say that?" 

A blush crawled across Saya's face, covering the bridge of her nose as she glanced away. "How close you two are. And you just...look alike is all. I just now noticed it with how close you two are standing together. Am I wrong?" 

"You're not wrong," Hailey sang, wrapping an arm through mine and pulling us closer so that our faces were centimeters apart. "This grouch and I are sisters." That seemed to surprise Saya. Her eyes scanned our features closer, widening when she most likely saw the same face and eye shape. Hailey fingered her platinum hair, tugging one of my bangs with the hand looped through my arm to compare them. "The only difference between us is our age and eyes, but auburn has never really been my color, so I dye my hair blond to feel better." 

I gave my sister an unimpressed look at the blatant lie she had given, but didn't comment. I had never tolerated liars, but I didn't condemn my sister for spreading the truth a bit too much. It was common knowledge that we were sisters and that was really all that the both of us were willing to share about our family. Not that we had much to share to begin with, but we were content with just that knowledge. 

"I never would've guessed you were sisters," Saya admitted. "Maybe cousins, but not sisters." 

"You're one of few who actually guessed we were related on the first try," Hailey said, leaning her head against my shoulder. "A lot of people merely assume we're just best friends who argue a lot." 

There were wrong, of course. 

Hearing footsteps racing through the halls, I decided to cut our ties short just as Saya opened her mouth. "Min will be here shortly, but since I know she'll overexaggerate, I'll give you some warnings." I held up a finger. "Don't let Ms. Lee catch you on your cell phone. That's one of her biggest pet peeves." Cause truly, what girl at this school didn't have some form of communication outside of this place? Absolutely no one. Saya accepted that one easily, nodding. 

I held up a second finger. "Don't go wandering around at night. If you do, don't get caught." Hailey and I had broken this rule plenty of times and had only been caught once. I wondered how sneaky Saya was since she gave me a vibe that this was going to be the biggest rule she would undoubtedly break. Another nod, though with a minute hesitation to the action. 

A third finger went up. This one was the most important rule. Especially to her. "Lastly, don't go near the gardens by the bell tower."

Saya's brows furrowed, realizing we had noticed her examining it. "Why not?" 

"They're off limits," Hailey said simply, straightening and pulling her shoulders back. Her superior height to both of us allowed her to tower over us, blue eyes piercing into Saya's. Saya visibly tensed, clearly sensing how serious my sister was. 

"The Chairman says it's dangerous because of the path being destroyed decades ago and he has expelled a girl or two for attempting to get over there," I explained. "If you break any of those rules, go ahead with the first two, but we don't recommend trying the third." As if on cue, Min's labored breathing rounded the corner and spotted the three of us. Giving Saya a lazy wave, we left her in Min's care. 

"That was fun," Hailey commented, clasping her hands behind her head. 

"If you say so," I said. "Could've gone smoother." 

Hailey rolled her eyes. "So pessimistic." She risked a glance back at the two girls, eyes narrowing as Min's chirpy voice introduced herself. "There's something strange about her. She looks so...out of place," Hailey said as we rounded the corner and out of hearing range. She cast me a worried glance. "Do you get that vibe from her, too?" 

There was a moment where I didn't answer my sister right away, my eyes latched onto someone I had never seen at the school before. A tall, black-haired man with a thin build was standing amongst the roses, his blank face focused on the old gardener who was no doubt bragging about the quality care the roses required. He seemed to know I was staring as grey eyes cut across to me. I tensed, pursing my lips and looking away a second later. 

How weird. 

"Yeah," I mumbled. "I guess I do." 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her song beckoned and laughed. The other's song repulsed and wailed. Together, they created a beautiful harmony. But what would adding in one dissonance do? "Do not pretend that you care about our Diva. You truly aim to kill her just like her sister." An angry snarl. "I aim to SAVE Diva." It turns out, everything would change.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Blood+ at all. Just my Hayden. 

* * *

**Ripples.**

_Chapter T.H.R.E.E._

_"Experience"_

 _"Experience is the teacher of all things."_ -Julius Caesar

* * *

_My fingers edged around the thorns of a yellow rose, gently grasping the stem and snapping it. I brought it closer to my face, smelling it with a sort of detachment that was unhealthy, but not something I could bring myself to overtly care about. There were so many of them around me. Yellow rose bushes. It was a magnificent place, an open area with no fences or buildings in sight. Just the yellow roses, the forest that surrounded the field, and a dark grey sky that promised rain._

_Part of my heart warmed and the other part chilled with a sense of unease. Yellow roses never failed to invoke the feeling in me._

_Mother had never been fond of them. She didn't like their meaning, so she had never held an interest in the negative flowers. But she had never understood my fascination with them even despite knowing what they meant. Jealously. Infidelity. Such human emotions, but so undesirable to have to witness. What did it matter, though?_

_It wasn't that big of an importance._

_The space reminded me greatly of the school's gardens, but I knew that wasn't where I currently was. The grass was too green, the air too fresh. It was quiet. Something that wouldn't be possible were I back at school. There was always some sort of noise. Laughter. Horses whinnying. The clacking of shoes on stone. Singing._

_I paused._

_A breeze distracted me, my ears perking up at the sounds that hadn't registered in my brain before. Suddenly, I was more aware of the sensations that brushed my skin and the weight that was bearing down on my body. The yellow rose in my hand was forgotten as I stared at the long, form-fitting sleeve with red trimming. Belatedly, I noted that I had never owned anything as nice as this._

_A thick sweater dress, white in color with red edges and going down to my mid-thigh. There was no dipping neckline, but was instead more like a turtleneck. I fingered the top, blinking at the comfortable looseness. Not at all suffocating like most turtlenecks. I glanced down to my feet, registering the ticklish feeling of grass against bare skin. I curled my toes, the cut grass curling in between. I had absolutely no sense of fashion, but a pair of boots would've looked a lot better than my bare feet._

_By some sort of blessing, my hair had been left alone. I had never enjoyed having it tampered with, despising the tight feeling of a ponytail that always gave me headaches. It flowed over my shoulders and down my back, the tips just reaching to the beginning of my hips. My lips twitched, almost like they wanted to smile at the feeling of fondness that filled my body. But I was not a liar and I was not a fake person. To smile now wouldn't have been sincere; it would've been sad and forlorn and that was not something I could force myself to fake._

_It wasn't supposed to be like this._

_Despite its beauty, it felt wrong to wear this. This wasn't me at all. No amount of dressing up would change me. My true self. I was torn between ripping the outfit off or just leaving it. My hands had just clenched tightly around the bottom, decision to rid myself of it made, when shivers running down my spine stopped me. No. That was a bad idea. I had to leave it on. I had to. Instinct told me it was a necessary evil. My head snapped up sharply, my ears focusing on a strange echo. Glancing to my right at the woods, I knew that if I went that way, I would find the source._

_I wanted to go. Curiosity had always been such a big weakness of mine and I absolutely hated being left in the dark. Being left out invited surprises and I had never been fond of those._

_Self-preservation stopped me from pursuing it, though._

_It was dangerous. I shouldn't go that way. Something bad would happen if I went into the woods. But it was a dangerous sort of compelling that called me to go in there. A type of compulsion I had never let take over me before and it sure as hell wouldn't happen now because my gut feeling was practically screaming at me to ignore it and to stay right where I was. It had never been wrong before. Never. My heart squeezed in my chest, my hand latching onto the fabric above it. It hurt. Why was I suddenly being hit with this absolute sense of despair and loneliness?_

_"Don't fear it, Hayden." My breath caught in my throat. Oh, that voice. I hadn't heard it in so long. I had almost forgotten what it sounded like. Memories of quiet dinners and sweet smiles and the rare bedtime stories filled my mind and I shakily turned my head._

_And there she was. Standing just a few feet away with a hand on her hip and leaning heavily on her right leg and wearing the same exact pair of jeans and favored brown blouse I had last seen her in. Same dulled hazel eyes that hid what she was thinking so perfectly, but still expressing so, so much despite never saying it. The same short, boyish haircut that she absolutely refused to let grow out. Her face. Her smile. Everything was the same._

_Tears filled my eyes against my will and I struggled to keep them from falling. "Mom."_

_Sympathy creased the lines around my Mother's eyes and she held her arms out to me. Calling. Encouraging. The yellow rose slipped from my fingers as I lunged forward. It took me two seconds to cross the distance between us and less than another second to wrap myself in her familiar embrace. Immediately, a sense of safety encompassed me. The same feeling I always got from my Mother. It never disappeared even after not seeing her for all these years._

_Blunt nails combed through my long hair, a hum vibrating in her chest and resonating through mine. "Oh, sweet one. It's been so long."  A gentle tug. "Your hair has grown so long." The disapproval in her voice was audible and although I hated hearing it, I didn't particularly care._

_"I guess you could say it was my way of defying you," I said lowly, clenching my eyes shut when she chuckled that familiar laugh. God, it had been too long since I'd heard it. I'd missed it terribly._

_"Little brat." The endearing tone wasn't missed, but I did acknowledge it silently. "You look so much like your Father," She mumbled. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear her or not, but I didn't comment on it. My late Father was a sore topic my Mother never broached, though the curiosity I felt for my missing parent had always been strong. I was dying to know more, but not now. Definitely not now._

_"Why haven't you come back yet?" I whispered into her body, tightening my hold around her. There was an entirely new sort of terror that coursed through me, as if I loosened my grip just the slightest, she would vanish again right before my very eyes. "It's been seven years. When will you come back for us?" For Hailey and I. Your children. When will we be able to call ourselves a family again and not have to be subjected to the torturous, sophisticated life of a child from a fake rich family?_

_She tensed in my arms. I knew I wouldn't like her answer. "Soon," Was all she said as she pried me off of her. Hazel eyes were unreadable even to my eighteen-year-old self. I loathed her ability to hide her thoughts. What could she possibly have to hide from me that warrants her looking at me with such a carefully constructed mask? I blinked when her hands cupped my face. Her hands were so cold. "Listen to me, Hayden." She gestured towards the woods, my eyes following the action. "Follow the voices. You will understand."_

_Voices? I cocked my head and frowned. I didn't hear voices. Just the same strange sound I had heard earlier, though it was louder and more insistent now. Static-like in a sense._

_"I don't hear voices," I said, confused. "It's all muffled."_

_Ah, the sadness was actually visible in her eyes now. No, don't look at me like that. Please, Mom. Don't look so sad. Not now. "What a shame," She breathed, shaking her head. My heart squeezed. Was that disappointment in her tone? At me? "You won't understand until you can actually hear them."_

_"Understand what?" My eyes widened when she released my face and took a step back. I hurried to take a step forward and felt something in me shatter when she took another step back. "Mother. What voices? I don't understand." Was she leaving? Now?_

_"Go to them, sweet one." My childhood nickname eased away some of the anxiety that had been welling up in, my coiled muscles relaxing just barely. It didn't escape my Mother's notice and she continued to push. "Follow the voices, Hayden. Trust me."_

_All it took was one blink. One quick blink and then she was gone. I frantically turned in a circle, calling for her only once and searching desperately for a splash of color amongst the yellow and green. Nothing. She was gone._

_I pursed my lips together tightly in complete and utter frustration, unable to understand what exactly was going on. She said to trust her. I did trust her. She was my Mother. I didn't have any reason not to trust her. She had never led me astray and despite her seven year absence, why would she do it now? I took a deep breath in. Once. Twice. Three times. Three deep breaths was all I had time for. And then it was time to move on. One foot in front of the other._

_A worn path was what I followed, very obviously a favored path for deer and other, bigger animals. Their footprints were all over the place. The air was heavy with the scent of nature and future rain, a humidity that was only just slightly uncomfortable with the thick sweater dress I was wearing._

_There was no source of life in these woods. Not a single bird call or the skittering of squirrels came from the trees. There wasn't even the flutter of wings as an insect took flight. The only sound came from my loud breathing and my feet. Twigs crunched under the soles of my feet, an obnoxiously loud sound that put me more on edge than anything else. Strangely, I didn't feel an ounce of pain flare up my legs from the crushed twigs. They felt cold, like all feeling had left my feet except there wasn't the usual tingling sensation of blood trying to circulate._

_Despite those mild worries, the anxiety and fear that had plagued me earlier had vanished. Walking down the path like this, I felt like a Queen of the Forest merely gliding through her home. It was like the fairytales I used to be oh so obsessed with. All those times I had wished and wished to be a princess who got her happily ever after and a handsome Prince Charming to complete the story felt like they were coming true right now._

_And yet..._

_Ah, there it was again. That loneliness and utter sadness weighing down on my shoulders again. I blinked slowly at the mist gathering in my eyes. Why did it feel like all I wanted to do was cry about how much all of this was nothing but a lie?_

_How unnerving._

_The path came to a sudden end._

_I hadn't increased my speed as the path seemed to be neverending—so really, what was the big hurry if that was the case?—but I had only taken just one small step and suddenly, I was out of the woods._

_There was a house. No, that was too simple of a description for the beautiful two story building a mere mile or so away from me. A mansion. Yes, that was a good word for it. A sprawling white mansion with rectangular windows and a slanting roof that was a beautiful moss green. Tables made of ivory and chairs that mirrored them were scattered near the entrance, all pulled out like they were just ready to be used. It felt peaceful. Safe. And there just in front of the mansion was an ordinary gazebo, tall in structure but ever so thin like one bad storm would blow it away. It was surrounded by pillars that looked like they'd come from an ancient civilization with how cracked they were. Old-fashioned. Ordinary. But ever so stylish in their placement._

_There was a flash of blue._

_Curious, I approached the gazebo, circling around on the pillows that I could now see were covered in vines and weeds and stopping when I was halfway around. My fingers lifted. A rose. A blue rose._   _Appreciation had me softly plucking one of the numerous flowers from its stem, bringing it to my face with more enthusiasm than with my yellow roses. It smelled sweet. Sweeter than any other flower I had ever smelled._

_That was when they fell. The tears I had been holding in were cascading down my cheeks, slipping down my cheeks and dropping into the grass. It had taken one blink and the smell of a rare breed of roses for the liquid to invade my vision, fill my eyes, and then spill over the curves of my cheekbones._

_Why was I crying?_

_Why was I sad? So, so_ sad? 

_I closed my eyes, feeling the rose slip through my suddenly lax fingers. Before I heard it touch the ground, I could feel myself fading. In and out. In and out._

_...Where was I?_

Blinking my eyes open blearily, I groggily reached across to my bedside table and slammed a hand down on the shrieking alarm to silence it. Instead of getting up to get ready for class, I threw an arm over my face to block out the early morning sunlight, sighing under my breath to not wake up my sister, who had not even stirred from her slumbering position across the room. 

I spent the next half hour wondering just  _what_ I had been dreaming about. 

* * *

"Those girls are so mean," Hailey growled, slamming her tray down on the table. Saving my orange juice before it could spill, I waited for my sister to calm her furious mutterings before attempting a conversation with her. The cafeteria was filled with the low chatter of the other girls and the clinking of utensils, noise merging into a sort of hum that was easy to tune out. Our morning classes were the main topic from what I could hear, many girls exclaiming how slow they had gone by or how some weren't ready for the exam coming up tomorrow. 

I didn't know what they were talking about because it felt like today was practically flying by. But that was probably because I had tuned out most of Ms. Lee's lectures and stared out the window instead of taking notes like I should've been. 

"What's got you all riled up?" I asked as Hailey's mutters came to a halt. My sister took an angry bite of the sandwich she had bought, chewing moodily and scowling at the table. 

"Just some girls in class being rude to Min," She muttered around her food, covering her mouth so I wouldn't see half-chewed up bread. "She's been blabbing all morning about how great it is that she finally has a roommate and everyone is just being so mean to her. They keep calling her stupid." 

I rested my cheek against my palm, humming. "Is it visibly bothering her?" 

Hailey pouted. "No," She admitted. 

I shrugged. "Then let it be for now. If it gets too out of hand, then we'll interfere. She's gonna be too thrilled with Saya being around for another week to even notice the insults the other girls are directing at her." 

"What about Saya?" Came Min's sweet voice. Both girls eagerly took the empty chairs beside Hailey and I, Min by my sister and Saya to my left. Eyeing Min's tray, I wondered if she was on a dieting spree again. She only had a sandwich on her plate today. A glance at Saya's had me struggling not to giggle. She had a sandwich and two fruit bowls. 

"Nothing, Min," Hailey said breezily, smiling at the brown-haired girl. The anger she had felt earlier was perfectly concealed behind a smiling mask, her eyes portraying only happiness. "We're just wondering how Saya is fitting in with us so far." 

"It's going alright," Saya said. She smiled sheepishly. "Ms. Lee caught me on my phone this morning." 

"You know, I specifically remember giving you three simple rules to follow yesterday," I commented dully. "It's barely been a whole day and you've already lost your cell phone." 

"Oh no, she still has it!" Min chirped, fingering her food. "Ms. Lee didn't take it from her. She just gave her a warning and told her not to do it again." 

"What?" Hailey exclaimed. "Are you serious?" She heaved a groan, crossing her arms childishly. "How unfair. Ms. Lee took my phone the first time she caught me. I didn't get it back until winter break." I remembered that particular incident. Hailey had been spitting mad for weeks, glaring daggers at our Guardian, which did absolutely nothing to faze the stiff woman. 

"What were you on your phone for?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity. "Catching up on social media or something?" The smile I got from Saya was just slightly uncomfortable, like she didn't want to tell me but was doing it anyway. I arched an eyebrow. "You don't have to tell me. I was just curious." 

"No, it's alright," Saya appeased. "I was just making a call to a friend. I promised I'd call him once I got settled in." 

Min looked thrilled to be on this topic. "A boy?" She prodded. "Oh! Is it your boyfriend?" 

Something like mild disgust flashed in Saya's eyes before they closed as she furiously shook her head. "Nothing like that, no," She denied hastily. "A friend of my Father's."

Min's face clearly expressed the disappointment she felt with the reply. "So what's he like?" Hailey cut in before Min could say anything else. Min meant well, but the girl had absolutely no filter and it wouldn't do for her friendship with the pretty Okinawa native to sour because she said the wrong thing. Hailey placed her elbows onto the table, smiling encouragingly at Saya. "Your Father's friend." 

Saya's face scrunched up contemplatively. "Very serious," She said slowly. "Kind of cold, too." 

I couldn't stop the snort that escaped me. "He sounds like a tough-love kind of guy." 

That brought a giggle out of the girl. "You could say that," She agreed. I caught her eying her food longingly and waved away whatever remarks my sister and Min had been about to make. 

"Let her eat, you guys. She's been eyeballing her food like a starving man ever since she sat down." Saya blushed as Hailey and Min laughed, but sent me a grateful look as she happily picked up her sandwich and took two quick bites out of it. Hailey watched her for all of ten seconds before she giggled into her hand. Saya's brows furrowed, silently asking her why she was laughing. 

"You sure have an appetite," Hailey noted, causing the black-haired girl to flush. 

"I usually eat twice as much at lunch," She said sheepishly. I dubiously eyed the girl's straight figure. There was a slight curve in her waist and hips, but that was it. Where did all of that food even go? Lips twisting, I hid the reaction behind my glass of juice. Blue eyes winked at me and I knew I hadn't done a good job being discreet. 

"Were you in any sports? Normally anyone who has such a big appetite runs around a lot." 

"I was in track and field back in Okinawa," Saya said, smiling fondly. "Mainly field, specifically the high jump course. I had a friend who would always help me set up and give me advice on how much higher I needed to jump." 

"Oh, wow," Hailey whistled. "That's the exact opposite of what Hayden did." I glared at her from under my bangs. It did nothing to deter her. "She was a runner for our middle school back in the States. She was really good."

"Why do you have to always turn everything around to me?" I growled under my breath. A sharp kick to my shin let me know Hailey had heard my comment.  

"Do you like running, Hayden?" Saya asked. Min leaned forward, also curious. Hailey tilted her head, clearly expecting me to say something back. I vowed I would corner her later and demand to know why she was wanting me to get closer to Saya. Especially if we were suspicious of her. 

"It passed the time for me," I mumbled. "Kept me from getting bored." 

Hailey rolled her eyes and didn't flinch when I retaliated her earlier shin kick. My lack of enthusiasm deterred Saya from continuing that line of conversation. 

"So, Hayden," Min started after swallowing a bite of food, "you're graduating in the fall, right? Do you know what you want to do yet?" 

All third years were required to sit down with Ms. Lee and the Chairman to have a serious talk about what we were going to do after graduation. There were quite a few options that the school would help benefit us with, but even more doors would be opened for me since I had kept up relatively good grades. I could continue to stay here at the school and move forward into the University program it offered. I could take my diploma and go back home, which was what most girls did. Or I could take up the exchange program we had and travel somewhere else for schooling with the school funding me so long as I kept up my grades. 

I had already made the decision to leave once I had graduated, so it wasn't hard to answer Min after a minute of thinking. "I'll be leaving," I said, sighing. "I'm tired of Vietnam after being here for so long."

Min didn't notice the nearly imperceptible flinch my sister made, but Saya certainly did. Burgundy eyes narrowed thoughtfully, her hands lowering with the nearly gone sandwich away from her mouth. "Where will you go?" Min asked. Mistaking the look on Saya's face, she pushed her half eaten sandwich over to the girl. She blinked in surprise, silently asking if it was alright. Min nodded, waving a hand to go ahead. 

"I haven't decided yet," I murmured. I hadn't really given it serious thought despite only having a few months left, but I couldn't bring myself to be concerned about it. Things could easily change by the fall and I didn't want to make plans to leave only for them to crumble at my feet because something mysterious stopped me. "I would like to go back to the States since that's where home is, but it would be pointless to go back for a year just to turn around and come back to Vietnam to get Hailey." 

"Flights are pretty expensive," Hailey mused, her shoulders relaxing. I wasn't sure what it was, but my sister had never enjoyed hearing me talk about leaving. I had reassured her numerous times that I would never forget her, that I would come back for her the second she was done so that we could get out of here together and she always smiled her beaming smile and accepted it. She had gone to the board at the beginning of the term about graduating with my class, but the school refused her plea despite how good her grades were and the Chairman had heavily insisted that Hailey stick with her year, so understandably, she had been furious that she couldn't leave with me when I was done.

I wouldn't be surprised if she was suffering from abandonment issues and couldn't stand the thought of not having me around for a whole year. 

"So what will you do?" Saya asked. I cut my gaze over to her and she flushed under my scrutiny. "I mean, will you stay in Vietnam or...?" 

"I'm not sure yet," I said quietly. "I'll figure it out when graduation rolls around." 

There was a poorly muffled snort behind me. Hailey's eyes cut over my shoulder to glare at the girl behind me. "Got something to say, Anna-Marie?"

Said girl flipped her blond ponytail over her shoulder, nearly hitting one of her followers in the face as she did so. "Nothing to a bunch of commoners like you," She sniffed as she shuffled past. Hailey scowled fiercely, swiping up her apple in a death grip and preparing to throw it. I hastily reached across and grabbed her wrist, Min squeaking and flailing around as she attempted to help. Saya could only watch with wide eyes being the furthest one away from Hailey.  

"Don't you dare," I hissed. 

"Let me hit her," Hailey pleaded, baring her teeth at Anna-Marie's retreating back. "Just this once, let me hit her. I don't care about detention anymore. Let me drag her down from her high horse." 

The rest of lunch was spent trying to restrain my sister from launching an all out food war against the unsuspecting Anna-Marie. 

* * *

I had been dozing on the outskirts of the garden for the past few hours when he found me. 

"I see you've made yourself comfortable up there again, Ms. Walters." My eyes opened at the lilting tone below my perch in my favorite tree on campus, tilting my head just enough to see the figure on the ground. Long black hair, half held up in a bun, with side bangs, grey eyes, and a blue, Vietnamese  _ao gam._ A graceful and barely there presence.

The Chairman. 

"You've gotten faster at finding me, sir," I commented, looking away from him. Leaves and peach blossoms blocked my view of the sky, but bits of blue and white that were beginning to turn red and purple still fluttered through the cracks. They provided wonderful coverage during the summer heat and from prying eyes. Not so much during the fall or winter, unfortunately. 

His chuckle echoed up to me, soft and light just like his speaking voice. "You're predictable." 

I hid a scowl at that. "Hardly, sir." I shifted until I was comfortable again, laying an arm behind my hand and across my stomach as I kept my legs bent for balance. "Did you need something, Chairman?"

A rustling of clothes. "Ms. Lee came to me a short while ago." I pursed my lips. Of course she noticed. Irritating woman never missed anything concerning the students. "You skipped your afternoon classes."

Ward of the school I may be, that didn't mean I was exempt from punishment for not following the rules. Skipping classes for no reason other than for the hell of it warranted at least a detention or two and a meeting with the Chairman and some parents. Considering the Chairman was my parent in a legal sense and the head of the school, it made sense that he would be the one to approach me. So this conversation could go two ways. 

I decided with the truth. "I was having troubles focusing this morning," I said quietly. "I didn't see a point in going to the rest of my classes if I wasn't going to pay attention anyway." 

He made a low humming sound that echoed up to me. I glanced down to see him leaning against the tree with his arms crossed comfortably. "Is there anything distracting you, Ms. Walters?"

_Yeah and it's definitely not school related._

My impending graduation. Hailey. Our Mother's whereabouts.  _The appearance of Saya Otonashi._

"In a sense, sir." 

"Graduation is almost here for you, Ms. Walters," He said. A warm breeze ruffled his long black tresses, billowing out to the side in graceful waves. I wished I could pull off such an effortless action without the worry of my hair getting into my mouth. "Surely you think you can stay dedicated for another couple months?" 

"I'm trying." A few of the peach blossoms above me came loose from their branches, spinning away to the ground at the Chairman's feet. Nearby, the whinnying of horses could be heard. Maybe spending time in the stables would keep the Chairman from finding me next time. "I'm just ready to be done with Vietnam." 

"Your sister said the same thing at our meeting," He chuckled. "You two are quite alike."

"We are siblings. It comes with the package." I caught the faint smile out of the corner of my eye and felt minutely pleased with my little success. While open and fair, the Chairman was very straight-faced. And in pain. It was in his eyes and it fooled everyone around him. But to me, it was so plainly obvious that he was hurting. From what, I couldn't tell. But it was there and it made my heart ache. 

"Sir, why won't you let me sister graduate with me?" I asked. "She meets the requirements necessary and simply holding her hostage another year will only hinder her." I was searching for a different answer. Maybe he had told Hailey what the Board had told him to tell her, but is that how he really feels? Did he secretly agree that she should be released early and was just trying to appease the higher ups and avoid their irritation?

We were so close to going back home. The only thing stopping us was Hailey's age and the Board. 

"My answer won't change just because you asked, Ms. Walters." He sounded vaguely amused. I huffed and turned my gaze skyward, frowning. How truly unfortunate. I felt his eyes burning into my head and heard him sigh softly. "Please understand, I must follow the law. Ms. Smith must complete the full terms before she can leave. And it was the will of your Mother to make sure she finishes school before you two make off into the world. It would be disrespectful to her if I didn't fulfill that wish." 

I didn't like how he was making it sound like she was dead. I bit my lip. The circumstances of her disappearance and the involvement of the Chairman was almost too coincidental, but her final letter to us had been in her hand writing and it was made clear that we were to be taken under his wing. For what reason, we never figured it out. But the Chairman knew and he refused to reveal why. 

_She's not dead. I know she's not._

"I understand, sir." Annoyance still managed to leak into my voice despite my best efforts, but he thankfully didn't take it too personally or he ignored it. "Am I in trouble?"

"I haven't quite decided yet, but you will get an answer when we get back to your dorms." He stood back to his full height, brushing himself down. "It's getting close to curfew, Ms. Walters. We must return." The sun chose that moment to graze the edge of the horizon at his words, hues of orange and red now dominating the sky in magnificent blends. Unfurling my body, I swung my legs over the branch and jumped down with the Chairman's gloved hand waiting, grasping mine for a split second to steady my landing before going back to his side. 

A couple yards to our right, the bell tower chimed its low tones, signaling curfew was close. 

"Sir?"

"What is it, Ms. Walters?" Having never walked with the Chairman before in the seven years I'd been here, I was irritated to notice that even the way he walked was graceful. I felt clumsy walking next to him with my loud footfalls and his near silent ones. Light footed, indeed. 

"Have you ever considered leaving? Vietnam, I mean?" I knew the Chairman was a native, but had he ever expressed the desire to go somewhere else? To travel and see new places?

"No." I blinked. That was a fast answer. "Vietnam is special to me. In many ways, I cannot force myself to leave." Bitter. He sounded so very _bitter_ about it, but a quick glance up showed that it didn't show on his face. Just his voice.

"Family reasons?"

He was slow to reply this time, cocking his head in thought. "You could say that," He said slowly as we entered the quad. And there, waiting for us by the doors, was Ms. Lee. And judging by the look on her face, I already knew I was going to be in for a serious tongue lashing. I scowled and grumbled an obscenity under my breath. "Language, Ms. Walters. There's no need to—"

Surprised at the abrupt stop, I chanced a look at the Chairman, visibly reacting to the piercing gaze that was on his face. Blinking, I craned my neck around his body to see what he was looking at. The black-haired gardener from yesterday, dressed in his black slacks, white-collared shirt, and moss green gardening apron that had dirt smudges on it. His back was to us and he was partially hidden behind the gazebo in the garden, but I could quite clearly see who was talking to him. 

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Saya? What is she—"

"Ms. Walters." I tensed at the sharpness of the Chairman's tone, watching as his hand reached up and seemed to grasp his right shoulder, as if it were suddenly hurt. I frowned. A past injury? He didn't even seem to realize he'd done it, still focused so keenly on the two people mere feet from us. "Ms. Lee will deal with your punishment for now. I expect you back in class tomorrow morning with no further absences in the future." 

Hissing angrily, I grunted, "Yes, sir," before heading towards Ms. Lee, not wanting to push my luck. Especially not with that strange look on his face. That niggling feeling of suspicion grew as I risked one more glance at Saya and the gardener before looking away to face my Guardian's wrath. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her song beckoned and laughed. The other's song repulsed and wailed. Together, they created a beautiful harmony. But what would adding in one dissonance do? "Do not pretend that you care about our Diva. You truly aim to kill her just like her sister." An angry snarl. "I aim to SAVE Diva." It turns out, everything would change.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Blood+ in any way, shape, or form. 

* * *

**Ripples.**

_Chapter F.O.U.R._

_"Unknown"_

 _"We do not fear the unknown. We fear what we think we know about the unknown."_ -Teal Swan

* * *

She never used to be nosy. 

Well, in all honesty, she was a little bit nosy when she was younger, but she blamed her age at the time. Children were such curious creatures and it was hard to fault them for wanting to know something. As one got older, though, it stopped becoming cute and became more annoying and a hindrance. Especially when being nosy led to secrets being discovered. And secrets were meant to stay secret for a reason, so she stopped snooping into other people's business after one particularly bad incident. 

It was actually quite easy to manage and for a long time, she forgot that she had ever even had the awful habit. Maybe it was the situation she had landed herself in that encouraged Hailey to forget about that part of her. Maybe it was the forceful nudging from her sister. Whatever the reason, she'd broken the habit. 

But then her sister expressed a certain  _wariness_ around Saya Otonashi and the awful habit she'd held back for years made another ugly reappearance. 

Hayden had fretted throughout the whole week about what she was feeling about Saya. She never had to say it to Hailey, but she knew her sister felt like she was being irrationally cautious around Saya. Her normally quick responses dragged out slower, more careful, as if she were afraid one misplaced word would give Saya an advantage over her. She refused to be alone with Saya if she could help it and it was like pulling teeth to get her to actually hold a conversation with the black-haired girl.  

If she were any other person, Hailey would've already come out and told her sister that she was being damn stupid and to be nice to the poor girl because she had done nothing wrong to her and therefore didn't deserve the cold treatment Hayden was giving her. 

But she wasn't any other person. Hailey knew Hayden like the back of her hand and the same could be said vice versa. Hayden wasn't being irrational because in a small way, Hailey felt the same. 

_"Am I going crazy? Like who feels this way around a harmless girl who can't say a mean word for the life of her?"_

_"You're sane, trust me, Sis. Cause it's the same for me."_

_A pause. "It's like those warnings Mom would give us. Stranger danger, right? If you get a bad vibe, haul ass and run."_

_"The real question is why we're_ both  _getting that vibe from the exact same person."_

Social butterfly that she was, Hailey initially had no qualms reaching out to the poor new girl who looked about ready to bolt out of the school from the frosty smile her older sister had been giving her. She liked Saya. She genuinely did. The girl didn't have a mean bone in her body and she had this air around her that seemed to draw Hailey in like a moth to light. To Hailey, that was a wonderful thing to have because that meant more friends and less enemies. 

But on top of that airy feeling, there was something else underneath it that set Hailey's fight or flight instincts off. There had been no display of evil intentions or any glares or scowls at all from Saya that warranted the feeling, but it flared to life without fail every time she got close to Saya. She wanted to run in the complete opposite direction and not look back as she did so. She hadn't understood it at first, but ultimately decided to ignore it as she attempted to patch up the awful tour her sister had given and to make amends with Saya since her sister would never do it. 

"Stranger danger", as her Mom would say. If it had been anyone but Saya, she wouldn't have ignored the feeling. But Saya was literally  _harmless_. Hailey could feel it all the way down to the core of her being. She wouldn't hurt anyone here. 

However, if there was one thing Hailey and her sister couldn't tolerate, it was someone lying to them. She had a sixth sense for liars and Saya was definitely lying. Maybe not to be suspicious or to hide some terribly dark secret, but all the same, she was lying. And that rubbed Hailey in a way that she didn't like. 

_Even though by all rights, she should be calling herself out for being dishonest. She'd lied to Saya once already. And to her other classmates._

What could be so serious that Saya had to lie about why she came to Vietnam? About why she came to their school? Her stories about her brothers had definitely been true. The emotion in her eyes had been too real to fake, but she had looked so sad. So melancholic as she talked about them. Saya had hinted that her home life had been warm and loving, so Hailey didn't believe the cock and bull story Saya had tried feeding the girls. Min had absorbed it like a sponge and didn't question anything, but for Hailey and Hayden? 

They couldn't say the same at all. Why Saya was in Vietnam wasn't her business. Hailey knew that very well. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have cared to even ask why they were sent to the prestigious school. She could confidently say the same for Hayden, too, but it's because both her and sister felt the way they did that Hailey decided to bring back up her nosiness. 

So she did a little snooping. Listening around to the rumors. Eavesdropping on what the others thought about Saya. Picking the lock to Ms. Lee's office the other night to look for her file, but unsuccessfully finding it. That part had been a bit tricky since she was so rusty at picking locks, but Hailey had felt immensely disappointed to find out Ms. Lee's office didn't have what she wanted. 

Hailey didn't trust her sneakiness or stealth to get into the Chairman's office undetected, so she let that one go, albeit reluctantly. She couldn't risk the amount of trouble she'd get in with the Board  _and_ the Chairman if she were to get caught. Not when it was getting close to her sister's graduation. 

"Wise choice," Hayden had admitted later that night when she had come back to their shared room empty-handed. The unsympathetic look Hailey had gotten wasn't something she was unfamiliar with seeing on her sister's face. "If you go down, chances are I will, too. We're too close for fingers not to be pointed at me since you can't come up with a decent plan to save your life." 

Hayden didn't like the lengths Hailey was going to prove both of their suspicions about Saya right. She remained firmly adamant that she was overreacting and that the feeling would pass, survival instincts be damned. Hailey believed that she was just in denial. 

The lack of results was disheartening to Hailey as she felt like she was letting her elder sister down. It was a miracle and a half for Hayden to ever admit she needed help and while she had never verbally asked Hailey to investigate, the younger girl could take a hint. So her being unable to find anything about Saya was frustrating to say the least. 

"What the hell are you two doing?" 

Until she stumbled across Saya in her night dress outside the bell tower with the mysterious new gardener. 

_And that was another thing. The information on the gardener was nonexistent as well and it surely wasn't a coincidence that he arrived at the same time as the black-haired girl._

Saya gave a startled yelp and Hailey would've found the mile high jump she just did amusing if she wasn't outside after curfew with no coverage close by in case Ms. Lee happened to chance upon them. Instead, she frowned heavily at the girl. That suspicious feeling was raging out of control at this point. Something was clearly going on and it wasn't just because the supposed gardener was wearing what looked to be a very nice butler suit and carrying a massive case on his back. 

But that could definitely play a small part of it. 

"H-Hailey," Saya stammered. Burgundy eyes were wide with surprise and she cast a furtive glance to the gardener at her side. "W-What are you doing out so late?" 

Did she really need a reason to be out so late? She certainly didn't think so. Getting detention the one and only time she'd been caught had never stopped her from doing it again and after figuring out Ms. Lee's patrol schedules, it was simply a matter of being on the opposite side of the school. Hailey personally thought the curfew rule was stupid and needed to be abolished. Why shouldn't she be allowed to enjoy a night like tonight instead of being holed up in her stuffy room?

She digressed, though. 

Said girl crossed her arms over her chest and maintained her stony expression at the pair. "I could ask you the same thing," She said slowly. She nodded towards her companion because honestly, to Hailey, what else could he have been. He was no mere gardener in her eyes anymore. "What are you doing with him after curfew? And where are you two going?" 

Saya looked everywhere but at the piercing blue eyes demanding answers. "We were just..." Hailey could see the girl struggling to come up with a good enough excuse and saw red for a split second before she forced her anger down. 

"Do me a favor." Saya's eyes snapped up to Hailey's and she visibly flinched at the barely concealed frustration sent her way. "Stop lying to my face like I'm some ignorant child." 

Hailey was vindictively pleased at the shame on Saya's face. Her companion still had not said a word, though he did take a half-step closer to the shorter girl. Hailey vaguely thought he was very unintimidating considering he was dressed like a servant. 

"I want the truth, Saya," Hailey said, digging deep down for the coldness her sister had mastered. It felt like anything less wouldn't force Saya to answer her questions. She wasn't leaving until she figured out just what the hell the girl was up to. "What are you doing?" 

Burgundy eyes narrowed just a bit and Hailey arched an eyebrow. "What I'm doing isn't any of your concern, is it?" Saya said firmly. If it had been anywhere but their current situation, Hailey would've smiled at the backbone Saya was displaying. Instead, it only solidified her assumption that something was happening. 

"No, it's not," Hailey admitted. Saya blinked and the backbone she had shown was gone, replaced with confusion and surprise. "I quite frankly don't give a damn what anyone at this school does outside of classes. It's not my business and I don't really have it in me to care to ask about it." The steps she took towards Saya were partially intercepted by the black-haired man blocking her way, though her sharp eyes never left Saya's. "However, considering you've been lying to everyone's faces about your reasons for coming here, it made me wary and a tad bit suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Saya echoed weakly. "Why are you suspicious of me? I haven't done anything to—"

"Your lies," Hailey interrupted sharply. A black-clad arm stopped her from getting closer, Hailey just barely freezing in place before she ran into it. "I'm not stupid, Saya. I can tell when someone is lying to me and you can't lie for shit. All I want is the truth." She grabbed the offending arm in front of her and forced it lower so that she could actually see over it. "If what you're doing is harmless, I'll walk away right now and not say a word to anybody except my sister. But if something dangerous is going to happen, you better tell me now so that Hayden and I can leave." 

"What about the rest of the school?" Saya asked, her voice so soft Hailey almost didn't hear it. 

"Tell them yourself if you want, but my sister is more important than anyone else here." Hailey almost cringed at how harsh that sounded, but didn't take back any of her words. In a sense, that was the complete truth. Nothing against the friends she'd made here, but she highly doubted she'd see them again once she graduated. Hayden was a constant in her life. She couldn't afford to lose that. 

Saya struggled to give the older girl what she wanted, her mouth opening and closing multiple times in an attempt to form words before it snapped shut. Something like forced acceptance crossed her face before she heaved a sigh. Her companion's grey eyes watched the motion with such a blank indifference Hailey was almost jealous of if she hadn't seen the same look on her sister's face every day. "Saya." 

So much was said in just her name as the mentioned girl only shook her head mutely. "It's alright, Haji. I'll deal with what the others have to say if they find out." Her words seemed to be enough for him because his arm dropped completely and he stepped away from Hailey, remaining close to Saya without being overbearing. 

Saya took a bracing deep breath and asked hesitantly, "What do you know about the recent deaths here at the school?" 

Hailey wouldn't necessarily call the sporadic deaths  _recent news_ , but her brows furrowed anyway and she tilted her head, contemplating her reply before saying, "A lot of the girls here say they were all accidents. Some believe the Phantom had something to do with it, but those girls are too into the myths surrounding him. The Phantom doesn't exist."

Hailey's words rang false even to her ears. In all the seven years she'd been at the school, she'd never believed a word from the girls who insisted the Phantom was real. Superstitions like that weren't meant to be believed. But then she recalled the blue rose Saya had gotten earlier that morning before class and Hailey couldn't help but feel like her beliefs were being altered just slightly. 

Everyone at the school knew a blue rose was the calling card of the Phantom. And seeing as how there were no such bushes being grown on the property, it wasn't some elaborate prank someone was trying to pull on the new girl to try and scare her. He had to be real in a sense because where else would someone find such an oddly colored flower? 

Something clicked in her mind. "You think they were murdered." It was more of a statement than a question. 

"We do," Saya said, nodding. "We're investigating here to hopefully figure out what is causing these girls to die." 

"And you believe the murderer is still here at the school?" Hailey almost scoffed at the ridiculousness. "You can't be serious. Do you have any idea how long this school has been around? These deaths have been happening randomly for who knows how long. Unless the person you're looking for is immortal, there's no way the person responsible is still even alive. Multiple individuals over the years have to be involved. It can't just be one person." 

Hailey didn't like the strange look Saya directed at Haji, who merely nodded his head to the silent question. 

"That's why we're here," Saya said. Her words were slow, careful, as if she were thinking each word through before saying them. "We're hoping to figure out who caused the murders. And we think something can be found in that garden." Hailey followed the length of Saya's arm to the enclosed area. She pursed her lips and shook her head. 

"That garden is off limits," Hailey muttered. "I've told you that before."

"Why?" Was Saya's quick reply. 

"The Chairman just says it is," Hailey snapped back, though she couldn't deny that she was curious about it. Everyone was, but what the Chairman says is practically the law here. No student was to go near the garden. While the man certainly wasn't her Father, she held him in high regard and treated him as if he were. He didn't have to take in her and Hayden, but he did and to Hailey, that was enough. What he said goes. Even if she did go behind his back from time to time by breaking rules. 

_But oh did she really want to go through the garden at least once before she graduated._

"I think there's something there that can help us," Saya said adamantly, turning to look across the giant chasm separating the trio from the gates. "And we need to go look. I don't think it's off limits simply for our safety. There's got to be more to it." That last part was mumbled under her breath, but Hailey still heard it clear as day. The blue-eyed girl scowled, biting down on her thumb nail thoughtfully. 

She knew sooner or later, Saya would somehow get into the garden.  _Forbidden_ was apparently a word she didn't know the meaning of since she looked prepared to make a running leap across the gap, consequences be damned. Hailey could easily turn back around and pretend she hadn't seen or heard anything tonight. The amount of trouble they'd all get in if someone caught them was unreal and her sister's departure was looming over her head like a dark cloud. What if she held her sister back by getting in trouble? Hailey wouldn't be able to handle the amount of sheer rage Hayden would release if she prevented her sister from leaving. 

Although it was an appealing though to keep her sister around until Hailey herself was done with her schooling, the backlash was not worth it. 

On the other hand, Saya's strange arrival and behavior was just starting to make sense to her. Her lying was definitely not about to be forgiven anytime soon, but it made sense at least. The prickly sensation of goosebumps still hadn't left, though, and Hailey felt more than assumed that Saya was holding something back. Like she was only telling a half-truth instead of a full one. Again, that sent waves of irritation coursing through her. Sticking around and helping Saya break some school rules would hopefully lead to more answers to her unspoken questions. 

But was it really worth it in the long run if someone came along and saw them going into an off limits area? The flashing of a lantern out of the corner of her eye had Hailey making up her mind. 

_I really hate my nosiness sometimes._

"There's a back entrance behind the bell tower," Hailey whispered, never looking away from the bobbing light. No doubt it was Ms. Lee on her patrol for the night. Grasping a chunk of Saya's nightdress, she urged her to follow. "We'll use that to get in. Hurry up before Ms. Lee sees us." 

Haji followed behind the two girls like a silent wraith, one that Hailey was very consciously aware of. 

He gave her the same vibe as Saya. 

* * *

"So they're detectives." 

"Something like that. I wouldn't use detectives to describe them, though." 

"Well, what else would you call them?" 

A pause. Hailey scowled and shook her head. "I don't know," She grumbled, "but it's not that." 

The campus was peacefully quiet of human chatter. Only nature and the whinnying of the horses could be heard from our secluded spot by my favorite tree. I wasn't sure why Ms. Lee thought banning me from going on the Hanoi trip with everyone would be considered an acceptable punishment, but I had no qualms accepting it. I hated going to Hanoi. Looking at the same museum on a yearly basis got old after the second time around and it was practically a reward for me to wave goodbye to my unfortunate classmates. 

How my sister got out of it remained a mystery. She says she had gotten permission from the Chairman, but how she managed to convince him to let her skip it would be taken to her grave. She refused to tell me. 

"They're certainly not part of a police force," I said, swinging my legs absently. Hailey remained sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree trunk directly below me. She'd never been able to handle heights and in her mind, the branch I was currently perched on was too high for her. "Or a military branch for that matter. Saya doesn't look like she'd survive that kind of training." 

"I guess," Hailey's mumble floated up. I cocked my head at her tone. "This whole thing is just so weird. I don't understand what they're after." 

I glanced down at her. I'd heard my sister get up in the middle of the night and leave. She'd done it multiple times before and I've never stopped her. Nine times out of ten, it's because she's got something on her mind and needs to walk through it. The other part is simply because she felt like it. She could take care of herself and if she got in trouble, she'd take it with a grain of salt. She'd been careless and she'd fix it the next time around. 

So imagine my surprise when she comes back a few hours later frazzled out of her mind and covered in dirt and foliage and her t-shirt and short shorts ripped in places. 

I snorted softly. "They're after a ghost. What kind of people seriously believe the Phantom is real?" 

"I thought the same thing until Saya got that blue rose yesterday." 

"But you said there were blue roses all around that garden." 

"There are," Hailey said confidently. "They're all over the place." 

"So someone had to of stolen one and placed it on Saya's desk. Nothing but a dumb prank." 

"I don't believe that, though." Hailey nudged her flats off thoughtfully. "The only person who has a grudge against Saya is Anna-Marie and she's too much of a wimp to break school rules. Besides, the Chairman has made it very clear how he feels about us trying to get in. Nobody wants to risk their spot here." 

"It could be Min." 

"Oh please. The day that girl can walk in a straight line without making a ruckus will be when Hell freezes over," Hailey said fondly. She'd always had a soft spot for the chatterbox that was Min. I liked the girl well enough, but she really needed an off button. She talked way too much. "Quit groping for reasons, Sis. Why are you insisting so much that the Phantom isn't real? He could be for all we know." 

"It's too much like the stories Mom used to read." Hailey had no comment to my words. 

One of my first memories as a child was of Mom weaving the rare fairytale story to me at bedtime on the condition that I wouldn't take them too seriously. She didn't want me to be wrapped up in the make believe world a lot of children had fallen victim to. It would prevent me from seeing the reality that was right in front of me. 

_"The world is not a kind place, Hayden. I hope you don't fault me when you get older, but I'm only trying to ease the pain and disappointment you'll eventually feel if I  continuously feed your head with happy endings that'll never happen in real life."_

The Phantom couldn't be real. There was no way a school myth actually existed. 

"Tell me again what all you found down there," I insisted in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had fallen between us. 

Hailey's head thumped against the tree as she gratefully took the topic change. "It was a wine cellar. A locked gate kept us from actually going in, but there were barrels upon barrels stacked up all over the place and there were wine bottles organized along multiple rows on all four walls." I could see the top of her nose wrinkle. "And a container. A huge white container that was against the back wall and took up a ridiculous amount of space. It meant a lot to Saya and Haji the gardener if their expressions meant anything." 

"They're looking for a killer, though," I murmured. "It's just a container. Do they think their guy is hiding in it or something?" 

Hailey shrugged. "I'm not sure. We didn't get the chance to go any further since Ms. Lee about caught us. Honestly, Saya should've known better than to start shaking the door like that." 

While I was glad to be told that my initial reaction to Saya was warranted, Hailey and I both agreed that there was something more to be discovered than what all Saya had told her. The question now was for us to decide whether it was worth it to keep on digging. I personally felt appeased knowing that Saya had finally admitted to why she was here, but at the same time, none of what she said added up. Why bring up old cases that spanned throughout the decades when trained professionals had never found the answer? Was this case tied in with another one to Saya? Why was it so important? 

_What was in that container?_

"Do you think the Chairman would tell us what's in it?" I jumped at Hailey's question, realizing I'd said my question out loud. Hailey tilted her head back to look at me, curious. 

"I don't think so," I said slowly. "We'd be admitting to breaking one of his top rules and I don't think even we'd be able to get away the severe punishment despite being his charges."

And this was just a gut feeling, but even if we asked him and didn't get in trouble, I didn't think he'd tell us anyway. Something like that hidden from prying eyes had to be important and there was no way the Chairman didn't know it was there.

"Disappointing," Hailey groaned. "Why do you want to know what's in it so bad?" 

"Same reason as you, I bet. Nosiness. And curiosity, I guess." 

"Rude. A healthy amount of curiosity isn't a crime to have." 

"It's a crime when it risks us getting into the biggest amount of trouble we'd ever been in and neither of us is being the voice of reason."

Hailey snorted at that. 

Curiosity was a strong thing between the two of us, unfortunately. And honestly, when had something likes rules ever stopped us from doing something before?

"Though I suppose we could go see what's in it ourselves so long as we're careful," I added thoughtfully. Hailey was on her feet seconds later, slipping on her shoes and urging me to hurry down. With everyone gone for the afternoon, we really only had to worry about the Chairman wandering around and considering both Hailey and I knew he was in a Board meeting right now, Hailey eagerly led me towards the chapel's back entrance.

"How did you know about this?" I asked Hailey as she carefully pushed a rusted gate open. I silently followed behind her, cringing when the gate let out a high-pitched squeaking noise as I shut it. 

"Not too long ago, actually," She admitted quietly. "I was about to get caught by Ms. Lee and stumbled across it. I didn't have a chance to go in before being forced to hide in one of the storage closets in the tower or face another detention. This way." 

The whole area was covered in overgrown weeds that slapped at my legs and fingers and the mangled pathway we were following caused both of us to trip over the upturned stones every couple steps. Despite the state it was in, the numerous amounts of rose bushes that covered the majority of the area were well taken care for. The gardener wasn't even allowed over here, so I wondered briefly who took care of the plants. 

_The Chairman, maybe?_

All of a sudden, I noticed the path had evened out. I blinked, confused. "What the...?"

"I'm assuming the way we took isn't used often," Hailey explained. "This is the main pathway." 

The difference was staggering. This path looked fresh, like the cobblestones had just been put down, and the weeds that had bombarded us before had yet to penetrate this area. Upon closer inspection, Coniferous trees lined both sides of the path at equal intervals with multi-colored rose bushes planted in between. The iron gate that had taunted many a student was just ahead of us, the dormitories and the classes building seen in the distance. 

"This way, Sis." Hailey pointed towards a slightly worn down gazebo-looking structure with a grate acting as a door. My eyes widened at what lined the bricks in an almost artistic way. 

"Are those blue roses?" I breathed. I wasn't sure what to expect when I hesitantly reached out to touch one. The dream I had was still very vivid in my mind, but I had come close to dismissing it as wishful thinking or my subconscious playing on the one thing I really wanted back. However, staring at the flowers that are the completely wrong color, it was coming back with a vengeance and the longer I stared, that creeping feeling of sadness that had crippled me before was making another grand appearance. 

"They sure are," Hailey said, plucking one off the ground. She gave a small smile. "Smell them. Science can't replicate a rose's scent so accurately." I practically shoved the rose to my face, breathing it in. The same sweet smell as before assaulted me and I knew they weren't scientifically made. These were genuinely real blue roses. Hailey dropped hers into a nearby red rose bush and, grunting, forced open the grate.

"It was really creepy in here the first time around since it was so dark, but with the sunlight, it's not so bad." The inside was as small as the outside, fitting maybe five people and a descending ladder that led into more darkness. Hailey's blond hair was a stark contrast to the dark background. "Come on, it's down here."

"You actually came down here of your own free will?" I asked as I cautiously made my way down. The rungs creaked under my weight. It was an ominous sound that made me hurry to jump off the last remaining steps should they end up breaking beneath me. "I thought you didn't like creepy places like this."

"I don't," Hailey grumbled, already inching closer to me. "I've seen too many horror movies for me to be okay with willingly going in headfirst, but it's more doable with company." She grimaced. "You should've been here when we originally discovered it. Haji the gardener decided he was too good for the ladder and jumped right off the top edge. I about fainted right on the spot."

I raised a disbelieving eyebrow and assessed the distance from top to bottom. "How did he not break his legs?"

"Couldn't tell you. Here. This is as far as we got." A locked grate I hadn't originally noticed before rattled under the firm shake Hailey had given it. I wrinkled my nose at the dust and cobwebs that shook loose. "The wine and the container are just through here."

Even with the sunlight filtering in from above, the room beyond was still barely visible. Barrels assumingly filled with wine lined all the walls, along with their bottled counterparts scattered around, and the container Hailey had mentioned was indeed pushed up against the back wall. She hadn't been kidding when she said it took up space. Something that huge had to be holding something important.

I prodded the heavyset lock that kept us from getting in and frowned. "Can you even pick something like this, Hailey? Your knowledge of lock picking typically only applies to doors." 

"I can give it a try," She said, though she sounded very unconfident. She crouched before the grate, yanking out the bobby pins that had pinned her hair back and flattening them out. "I've never actually attempted something this heavy duty, but it could be good practice." 

"Just where the hell do you think you're going to be picking another lock similar to this? Are you planning to rob a millionaire or something?" 

"Rich people aren't the brightest," Hailey said in a somewhat snide voice. "If I really wanted to rob someone rich, I'd go in through the front door." She hissed when she pricked her finger, waving her hand around before going back at it. 

"And yet we go to one of the richest schools in Vietnam." 

"There's nothing of value here," Was her instant reply. She muttered a curse under her breath. "The only kind of profit we'd get is probably by selling those blue roses and even then, they wouldn't really land us much money anyway."

The idea of actually  _selling_ those roses had me frowning. It left a sour taste in my mouth. "Then let's not bother." 

Hailey paused with her fiddling and cast a sideways glance at me. "What's with that tone? I was only kidding, you know." 

Feeling uncomfortable by the shrewdness in her eyes, I crossed my arms and didn't answer her. Her gaze burned into my cheek for a solid minute before the heat of being watched dissipated and the tinkling sounds of her bobby pins against the metal lock resumed. After half an hour of awkward silence on both ends, Hailey's triumphant cry had me flinching in surprise. The metal lock clanked loudly against the floor and nimble fingers gently nudged open the now unlocked door. 

The smell of wine and a musty kind of odor was heavy once we passed through the door. It was strong enough to cause a prickling sensation to assault my nose and my eyes to start watering. It was almost like walking into an old, abandoned house minus the rotting and mold. Beside me, Hailey had the same reaction, except she hurried to cover her nose. Her words were muffled by her hand. "Damn, this place  _reeks_ of alcohol." 

"I wonder why," I muttered sarcastically. She jabbed me in the side, having heard my comment. "This is some crazy wine addiction, though. Look at all of this." Approaching one of the numerous shelves holding the wine bottles, I carefully pulled one out. It was a simple dark bottle with a stand-out white sticker.  _Chateau Duel_ was stamped underneath what appeared to be a picture of some dilapidated ruins. 

"These date back to 1967!" Hailey exclaimed as she looked over my shoulder. She pointed to the date. "Can you believe how old these are? I wonder if they're all like this." She curiously began examining some other ones, her brows furrowing the further down she looked. "They all date back to 1967. There's not a single new bottle on this shelf." 

I put the bottle back gently. "It's probably safe to assume that all of them are going to be like that then." 

"That's so weird, though. I know wine tastes better once it's aged, but if all of these are from 1967, why even  _bother_? The barrels look like they're meant to be shipped out, but these bottles?" She ran a finger over one and showed me her dirty appendage. A quick peek at my own hand showed that it was also covered in a thin layer of dust. "They've been sitting here for a long time. It's very unlikely they'll ever be opened either. There's not a single empty space that I can see." 

I frowned. Unless the Chairman was a winemaker in his younger years, he had to know about this in some way. Something of this magnitude couldn't stay hidden for long. Someone was practically owning a private wine company down here, but was clearly making no effort to make a lot of money off of it. To repeat Hailey's words: _why even bother then?_

It was such a weird combination, too. All this wine and a container? How were they even remotely related? 

"—and don't even get me started on this obnoxious ass container." I blinked, immediately tuning back in at the last part of what my sister had been apparently ranting and raving about. Hailey was eyeballing a keypad on the side of said container intensely and snorted. "Go figure you need a password to open this stupid thing." She kicked it lightly, cringing at the metallic clang that echoed. 

"And a card," I pointed out. A password  _and_ a card? Just what the hell was in this thing? Numbers on the bottom corner caught my attention. "7-2-1-2-2-6." 

"What?" 

"There's a shipping number right here." Hailey peeked around the corner and followed my line of sight, lips silently mouthing the numbers. "You said these numbers meant something to Saya?" 

A frown tugged at Hailey's mouth. "I mean, Saya didn't really  _look_ completely sure about the importance. I think she was making assumptions and crossing her fingers that they were right." 

"And the fake gardener?" 

"Definitely saw a reaction. It was small, but I saw it. He's got an idea of what's in this and I'm almost positive he's not the type to be wrong about much."

"Think he'd tell us?" The deadpanned look I got from Hailey said it all. "Okay, then we need to ask Saya." Or rather, Hailey could ask Saya. The girl took one look at me and was sweating bullets within seconds. 

"I don't know, Sis," Hailey said, scratching the back of her neck in an unsure manner. "I think it's a waste of time to ask someone who isn't even entirely  _sure_. I mean, this is us being very nosy and it's not our business, but we've come this far, so I'd much rather have a clear answer than one that's half-assed and wrong. We'd have more luck asking the Chairman than Saya in all honesty."

I bit my lip. "Maybe we could—" 

"Girls." 

I would forever deny the startled yelp that escaped me. And Hailey would never admit to the ear-splitting shriek she'd let out as we both spun on our heels to face the voice that had called out to us. My heart leapt up into my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, Hailey paled. Blue eyes were impossibly wide and it was obvious her mind was racing a mile a minute to put together some sort of excuse for us. 

An eyebrow arched expectantly at us. Dark grey eyes were definitely  _not amused_ and a weak whimper escaped my sister as she latched onto my arm. We'd been caught red-handed and she'd come to the obvious conclusion that she wouldn't be able to come up with anything in the heat of this moment to save us.

"To my office. It's obvious to me that we're going to have to talk about some things," the Chairman said lowly, his whole body taut with tension and what could easily be recognized as anger. Another whimper was heard, though I couldn't quite tell whose it was through the terrified haze that covered my mind as Hailey's fingers dug harder into my arm. 

Oh God, he was _pissed_. And we were in so much trouble. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her song beckoned and laughed. The other's song repulsed and wailed. Together, they created a beautiful harmony. But what would adding in one dissonance do? "Do not pretend that you care about our Diva. You truly aim to kill her just like her sister." An angry snarl. "I aim to SAVE Diva." It turns out, everything would change.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Blood+ in any way, shape, or form. 

* * *

**Ripples.**

_Chapter F.I.V.E._

_"Secrets"_

 _"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."_ -Benjamin Franklin

* * *

The door closing was loud to his sensitive ears, the sound of unsteady footsteps slowly making their way farther and farther away from him before they were completely out of his range of hearing. 

They'd come so close to discovering her.

Karl wrung his hands together tightly, gloves crinkling under the pressure and filling his empty office with the noise. The remaining light from the sunset filtered in from his open window, casting orange and red shadows throughout the room. Oh, the shadows. There were so many of them here. Shadows and darkness was his safety. His protection. He could watch from the dark. Watch and wait. Bid his time. Kill his prey.

His teeth dug into the giving flesh of his bottom lip.

Oh, but he couldn't kill Hayden and Hailey. If he was anything, he was a man of his word. And he'd promised Carla he'd take care of them. Look after them for her. He couldn't break that oath now. Though, and here his black heart seemed to sink a bit, he knew Brother Amshel would want him to kill the two girls. They were a liability. _They'd almost discovered Diva. While she was still asleep._

That was unacceptable.

His palms pressed furiously against his eyes and he released a heavy sigh.

He never knew that taking the two then eleven and ten year olds would prove to be such a challenge. Carla had reassured him that they were good children. Some of the easier-going ones he'd ever find in the whole world and would never give him grief. He just needed to watch them until Carla returned and if she wasn't back by the time graduation came around, then he was to entrust the letter she'd written to him to both of them. What they did after was by their own choice. After that, he wouldn't have to worry about them anymore. They wouldn't be his responsibility.

But damn him if he hadn't grown a little attached. 

He'd watched them grow. Their human bodies grew in height and weight and they seemed to  _blossom_ before his very eyes. Just like Saya had that wonderful night in Vietnam, but with little flare and dramatics. Their personalities started to shine through, the sheer  _mischievous_ and _curiosity_ that gleamed in their eyes warning him that they would eventually start asking questions that should never be asked. He watched them grow closer together by the day, faithful to each other and each other alone. Making attachments with the other girls, but nothing that wouldn't stop them from ultimately reaching their goals.

_Dare he say, he was almost proud of them._

He supposed that this was normal. Having to interact and provide for them for so long would've eventually led to him growing sentimental for the sisters. He knew they looked up to him. Almost like a Father figure, but damn it, he was no Father to those two. It was almost time for Diva to awaken and he would not hesitate to leave those two behind for his love. For his Mother. For _Diva._ No Father should be able to make such an easy decision. He couldn't be what they desired and the Chevalier in him was disgusted that he cared so much. 

But his human heart grieved for the sisters he would ultimately have to leave behind or even kill. Because Diva was important. Diva was his life. She always came first. 

He knew both of them snuck out at night, Hailey more so than Hayden. That girl had always had a thing for breaking rules and she was a master at not getting caught at this point. She would be a force to be reckoned with if she had the proper stealth training. The perfect information gatherer. And Hayden...he didn't really know how to accurately describe the girl, but she was shrewd. Too observant. Amshel would not like her if they met. She picked up on hidden cues and double meanings too fast, trusted her gut more than her eyes. 

_She was a threat. Both of them were, but Hayden more so than Hailey._

"Damn it," Karl growled, dropping into his chair and glaring at the lone file on his desk. Normally the burgundy eyes and the midnight hair of the girl who'd slashed his arm off would calm the anger that filled him, instead filling his whole body with anticipation and excitement for a chance to continue their glorious dance, but now...now he was more irritated with her than anything else. 

She was ruining everything so quickly. 

_"Why were you down there?" Hailey had flinched at the coldness in his voice, shivering fearfully as she scooted closer to her blank-faced sister._

_"We were curious," She said quietly, not meeting his eyes._

_He had to resist snarling at the ignorant girl, something Hayden seemed to notice. Her eyes flashed and she was standing more solidly in front of her sister, actually glaring at the man who had raised them for a good portion of their lives. Those green orbs dared him to say something, anything, that would hurt her sister._

_"We both were," She said sharply. "We just wanted to know why the garden was off limits. Just like everyone else." That last part was a jab at him, briefly igniting his own short temper for a second before he smothered it._

_"You know the rules, girls."  He had to get them to see reason. To_ submit  _to his demands. Damn it, he didn't want to kill them for something like this. They hadn't even_ done anything.

_"Rules have never stopped us before, sir."_

The sisters were acting out. He could see the rebellion in their eyes. He should've squashed it long ago when it first started making an appearance, but he held himself back. He'd thought the respect they held for him would keep them from digging too deeply into things that should stay buried. They felt cooped up in this school, rarely allowed to leave the campus, but he was only doing what Carla wanted, therefore they would not leave. Not until graduation, at least.

He realized that maybe it was a mistake to have been so soft at that crucial point in their lives. Because the second Saya came into the picture, he'd lost a little bit of leverage over the two. Their curiosity was too strong compared to the high regard they held him in and they let the other Queen lure them into her trap.  _To kill Diva._

"No, they didn't know," He mumbled, quelling the monstrous growl that thundered up his chest at the thought. "They don't know about Diva. It's not their fault. They were being human, too nosy for their own damn good."

He'd scared the girls awfully earlier when they were standing before him in this very office. The fear rolling off Hailey had practically saturated the room and he'd thought Hayden's heart would've exploded from over exertion because of how fast it was beating. His anger was a thing they'd rarely experienced, never actually doing anything to provoke him enough to release some of the power within him to make them look at him with such terrified eyes. But they had to understand. What they'd almost discovered...he couldn't allow any harm to come to Diva while she was sleeping. 

It was a miracle Amshel had even consented to her container being hidden here at the school to begin with. It was a privilege he'd been thrilled to have and he'd almost lost it because Hayden and Hailey, two human girls under his care, were seeking to open it. 

_They had to understand that there couldn't be a repeat. Otherwise he really would have to kill them to prevent word from reaching the Red Shield._

The phone gave a piercing ring. 

Irritated, Karl answered, "What do you want, Solomon?" 

A light laugh echoed from the other end. "Is that how you normally answer inquiries throughout the day, Karl?" 

"Only for the more annoying ones," He snapped testily. "What do you want?" He gave a slow blink at the response before frowning. "You're coming to the ball tomorrow?" 

"Just to check up on Diva," Solomon assured. "I don't doubt you, Brother, but it has been so long since I've seen her face. I don't want to forget it." 

Karl held back a snort at that. As if Solomon would ever have the nerve of forgetting the beautiful face of their Mother and Queen. He was her favorite, after all, one of the few things he detested about the charming Frenchman. 

He paused. "Solomon, have you talked to Amshel recently?"

There was a low hum as shuffling in the background was heard. "Maybe a few months ago. Why do you ask?" 

"I think it would be in our best interests if we moved Diva tomorrow during the ball." 

He couldn't risk his Queen's safety. Not with Saya snooping around and that annoying Chevalier of hers being ever so watchful. Amshel would be pleased to have Diva back in his custody again sooner than planned. Especially with her awakening so close at hand. 

_But that just meant he was twenty four hours away from breaking the promise to the one person who had ever given him the time of day and prematurely saying goodbye to her children._

* * *

I don't remember how we got to our room. I know there was a lot of stumbling on Hailey's part and a lot of bumping into things on my end. Pretty sure I'd smashed one of Ms. Lee's vases on the way here. It was an ugly one anyway, so I doubted it would be missed by anyone but the stern woman. 

It was like my heart was two seconds away from bursting out of my chest. 

The feeling was similar to awakening from a nightmare. Broken out in a cold sweat, heart thumping away at a too fast beat, shakes wracking your body, the frantic need to look around and make sure the nightmare wasn't actually happening. The relief one felt when they realized it was nothing but a bad dream. To some, what happened would've been a miracle and a half and should be taken with gratitude and the solemn promise to never do it again. 

This good dream felt like it was hiding a nightmare in the shadows, just waiting for us to lower our guards and rip away the small shreds of good luck we'd gotten to mock us. 

"How did we get out of that?" Was Hailey's broken whisper. I numbly shook my head, heart racing. 

_"I may have let my anger get the best of me in that moment, but I will not expel you nor will I punish you."_

Hailey's fingers tangled into her already disheveled hair, expression bordering on insane. " _How_ did we get out of that?!" She breathed. "I don't get it! What is the Chairman thinking?!" 

I shushed her, making an aborted motion to our door. Voices from the hallway filtered in, our classmates having just returned from the Hanoi trip. We could clearly hear every word they were saying and while I knew with our whispered words and the door being closed, they wouldn't have a chance in hell of hearing us, but the paranoia that pulsed through me was saying otherwise. We had to be quiet. Even the walls had ears. 

_"I do have one request, however."_

I swallowed the bile that rose up in my throat. I felt lightheaded, shakily releasing a breath as I collapsed onto my bed. Looking down, my hands were still shaking. I had small hands, child-like almost, with long, filed nails and finely trimmed cuticles, but my mind made them out to be smaller. Weaker. Defenseless. I clenched those small hands into tight fists, squeezing my eyes shut. 

I had never known the Chairman had the ability to be so intimidating and threatening. Our Father figure, who was so soft-spoken and gentle and fair and all of those other good qualities that made up a Father, had aroused a type of fear in my sister and I that we had never before comprehended. For the first time, I was _terrified_ of him. The fear that rode through my veins like a roller coaster was something I could never forget and it was centered around the man who had taken us in when we had no one else. 

I had never back-talked our guardian in the time we've lived here. He was an adult and demanded my respect because of the age gap and experience that divided us. He deserved it, too, because he truly was an extraordinary Headmaster and everything just seemed to flow like a river with him around. He could be trusted to get things done and in a time efficient way. It was a skill many adults lacked and it was admirable that he was so put together. 

That look he'd given my sister, though...

_That I definitely couldn't tolerate. And the words that had slipped out of my mouth had been instinctual, an all consuming desire to protect my family from someone who was threatening them._

Hailey's petrified expression told me she was in the same boat. I  _hated_ that look on her face. 

_"You keep what you saw down in the cellar to yourselves."_

Dead people can't tell secrets after all. 

We spent the rest of that day and all of the next afternoon confined to our room. Knocks at the door were heard throughout the morning, no doubt from classmates who wondered why we weren't around, but they were silently ignored by both myself and Hailey. We didn't even leave for meals, too absorbed in our thoughts to really care about the hunger that was beginning to gnaw at our stomachs. The Chairman's threat still weighed heavily on both of us and we needed a second to process it all. 

That container was more important to him than we'd ever anticipated if that was his go-to reaction to finding us so close to it. Which meant that it was also just as important to Saya if he reacted like that. 

It was as the sun was at it's highest peak in the sky that my sister finally moved. 

"Ah." My sister's face lit up with surprise, her eyes glued to the calendar that hung above her desk. "Today's the ball." 

"Damn it," I cursed, burrowing my face under my pillows. 

How inconvenient.

* * *

Hailey didn't typically mind going to events like this, but when it was all girls attending and no guys to mellow out their dramatics, it got to be a bit too much even for her. She could imagine how her sister was feeling in this chaos. 

The noise was unreal. The girls so pushy and doing everything within their power to out shine the other girls with their princess-like dresses and poorly done make up. The overtly bright lights and the extravagant chandeliers with their artful lace draped around them. It was all an attempt to impress the important parents that were showing up by the dozens. To let them know the school's reputation wasn't going down the drain, that it was still as upstanding as the brochures had bragged about. The girls were on their best behavior under the watchful eyes of Ms. Lee, but the hidden jabs were picked up by all parties. 

"Hayden, you lucky bitch," Hailey hissed under her breath, eyes scanning the crowd for her wayward sister. The coward. She'd bailed on Hailey the second Min and Saya had made a beeline for the blond, disappearing into the throngs of people and out of sight before Hailey could grab her. 

"What was that, Hailey?" 

"Nothing, Min," Hailey trilled, plastering a smile on her face. "Just admiring the party decorations." 

"They are beautiful," Saya agreed softly, cheeks red from the stares she was garnering from the other girls. Hailey thought she had no reason to be embarrassed. The pink ball dress Min had loaned really complimented her. A fashion diva that she was, though, she'd wished Saya had let her hair grow out instead of keeping it in that boyish cut she insisted on keeping. She'd look lovely with longer hair, but she kept that comment to herself. 

Hailey smiled impishly. "If you'd actually been here on time, you would've seen them right when the doors opened, but you were fashionably late, so you get the delayed reaction instead." 

Tan cheeks darkened even more. "I didn't think it'd take me that long to get ready," Saya mumbled. 

"You've never really been to a ball before, have you?" Min asked. "Oh, it's like a dream come true to be able to dress up like this and feel beautiful for a night!" She sighed, disheartened. "Too bad this isn't a co-ed school. Not really impressing anyone when it's just us girls." 

"Eh, there's not really anyone worth impressing here anyway," Hailey deadpanned. 

"You're certainly dressed to impress," Min teased, but then frowned. "The only thing you didn't do was your hair." 

Hailey absently fingered her platinum blond strands. There wasn't really much one could do with short hair and hers didn't even graze her shoulders. Add on that it was stick straight and had choppy layers to it didn't help her any. Her being unable to curl her hair properly was a setback, too. "There's nothing wrong with it now. It's more manageable this way." 

Min groaned. "I wish you'd come to me earlier! There's so many styles I know for short hair. Your hair's thicker than mine, too, so the ideas I know would've looked so much cuter on you than me for sure." 

"T-That's not true at all, Min," Saya stuttered, shaking her head sharply. "You look very nice tonight." 

Min beamed, a genuine brightness that had Saya smiling back at the exuberant girl. 

"There are brothers here," Hailey said off-handedly, pointing out a group that stood out. "You could always go dance and talk to them before some other deprived girl sinks their claws into them." 

"I am not deprived!" Min whined. 

"Are your parents here, Min?" Saya asked quickly, glancing around at all the parents holding champagne glasses. The women looked stunning in their floor-length gowns and the men looked equally nice with their tuxes and suits. Hailey had to actively fight a frown. 

_I wish Mom could be here._

She also wished the Chairman would stop hiding, but maybe it was logical for him not to be seen by her or Hayden. They had just gotten in serious trouble barely a day ago and while Hailey was ready to apologize formally, she doubted Hayden was. She might just snap again if she saw him now. She'd give it another day before they pursued him to say what they needed to. 

"Not yet," Min stood on her tiptoes, looking at the heads of blond and black and brown for any sign of familiarity. "Mom said they'd be a little late since their plane was delayed, but they should be here any minute!" 

"Well, good evening, girls." Hailey immediately rolled her eyes at that drawling voice. 

Anna-Marie was rightfully named the prettiest girl in the whole school before Saya came along, blond hair curled and pinned with a flower clip and a blue dress with elbow-length matching gloves that reminded Hailey of Cinderella. Except she felt Anna-Marie was more the evil and nasty step-sisters than the kind princess. And the fan with blue faux fur at the tips was definitely overkill. She especially didn't like that her minions had downplayed themselves so as to not outshine the spoiled rich kid, all three wearing similar versions of the same dress with different colors. 

"It was a good evening before you came along, Anna-Marie," Hailey said sarcastically, loving the eye twitch she got from that comment. 

"The party can begin now that I've arrived," She said primly, fanning herself. She side-eyed the dress Saya was wearing, tilting her nose up disdainfully. "Don't you find it odd that the supposed most beautiful girl in school,  _hand-picked_ by the Phantom to receive a blue rose, would wear  _that_?"

That struck a cord in Min, who instantly jumped to Saya's defense with her hands on her hips. "What do you mean?" She demanded loudly. "I happen to have loaned her that dress myself, blondie!" 

"Min, I'm going to teach you some better comebacks than blondie," Hailey muttered, snickering under her breath at the girl's attempt to be mean. 

"Oh, did I offend you?" Anna-Marie asked, raising her fan to cover more of her face. "Please excuse me." 

"We all know you didn't mean it, so don't waste our time with meaningless words," Hailey said disapprovingly. Hailey's lip curled when the older girl gave a short onceover of her dress. 

Anna-Marie hummed. "I suppose you look acceptable, though that color is atrocious for your skin and face." 

She knew it was meant to sting, but the sharp twinge of self-consciousness hit Hailey before she could completely ignore it. Hailey was taller than a lot of the other girls and didn't have many curves, her body practically a straight line with slight definition to her hips and waist, so finding a suitable dress that wouldn't make her look awkward was difficult. She'd lucked out with how frilly and cute the dress she got was, but she didn't think it was that bad. 

All white with a short front that stopped just above her knees and a long back that grazed her ankles with every step, it accented how long and toned her legs were from running and playing sports back in America as a child. It cinched at her ribs, giving her upper body a more fuller appearance compared to the normal flatness that was there. And it had long sleeves that went all the down to her knuckles, which was nice since she had a habit of pulling at her sleeves anyway. She'd tied a ribbon she'd received from her Mother at one point around her neck, styling it into a drooping bow with the remaining length cascading down her front. 

So maybe the style of the dress didn't suit her entirely, but she didn't think the color clashed with her slightly tanned skin and she had her Mother's heart-shaped face, so what exactly was Anna-Marie saying when she said it was atrocious? 

Hailey smirked cruelly. Hayden wasn't around to keep her in check, so she would relish this rare opportunity to have a go verbally with the snobby brat. "Is that so? Just like how your personality is atrocious compared to your so-called beautiful looks?" She waved her hand in front of her face, miming Anna-Marie. "Though I suppose having money just gets you all the attention, doesn't it?" The glare she got for that one was worth it. 

"At least I'm not here because I'm a charity case," She growled. 

Hailey arched an eyebrow, unperturbed by the comment. "You can pay your way in here, but your grades definitely don't show your worth to this school." 

"Hailey!" Saya whimpered, Min gasping as Hailey urged her backwards so that she could step closer. Hailey could feel a lot of eyes on her and Anna-Marie, garnering the attention of Ms. Lee, who was shrewdly eyeballing the two for any hint of disruption from her place by the door. Whispers reached her ears, but she couldn't make out their words, too focused on the other girl to really care to wonder what they were talking about. 

"And you're an important contribution to this school?" Anna-Marie gave an unlady-like snort.

"I've done more here than you have, that's for sure."

"My parents fund this school," Anna-Marie snapped back. "What do yours do other than being buried six feet under?" 

_That was a low blow._

Blue eyes flashed and if it wasn't for the body suddenly getting in her way, she would've made a grab for the blond, propriety be damned. 

Hailey swore Hayden had a sixth sense for when she's picking fights with Anna-Marie. 

"Don't even think about it," Her sister snarled under her breath, grabbing Hailey's clenched fist. Emerald eyes glared at Anna-Marie. "Move your ass, Anna-Marie. You're blocking the doorway." 

Anna-Marie didn't hide her rolling eyes, giving a half-assed apology they all knew she didn't mean, and ushered her group deeper into the crowd of parents and students. Hailey managed to stick a foot out just as Anna-Marie passed, smirking gleefully when the girl tripped and barely managed to right herself before she face-planted into the ground. Hayden growled under her breath and slapped her arm. 

"That was uncalled for." 

"Oh, please. She deserved it," Hailey argued, yanking her hand away and glaring at her older sister. "She was being unnecessarily rude." 

"There are too many eyes around here for you to be picking a fight with the resident she-witch," Hayden snarled, closing the distance to her sister's face and giving her own intimidating green glare. 

Close though the sisters are, even Hailey acknowledged they were able to rile each other up faster than Anna-Marie ever could. Add on neither of them particularly wanted to be here at this obnoxious party, it made their short tempers ignite at the slightest provocation. 

"Hey, come on, you two. Don't fight," Saya said weakly, ushering them apart. "We're supposed to be having fun, not fighting." 

"Honestly, though," Min said, exasperated, "Anna-Marie is so mean anymore." 

"You're just now noticing that?" Hayden grumbled. 

"She's always been mean, Min. She was just looking for a fight to embarrass Saya," Hailey said. Saya sputtered, blushing and trying to deny her words as Hailey rounded on her sister, remembering her earlier irritation. "And you. Where did you skulk off to? You disappeared literally the second we walked in!" 

"I wanted a drink," Hayden said flatly. She raised a glass Hailey hadn't noticed in her hand, filled with red punch. 

Hailey narrowed her eyes. That was a half-truth, which meant something was bugging her. Something to do with the Chairman, maybe? Had she seen him? "Come get a drink with me." 

"I already have one." 

Hailey snatched the drink from her sister and proceeded to down it all in one gulp, rubbing her lips together at the sticky feeling left behind. "Oh, look at that," She drawled, handing it back to her twitching sister. "Your glass is empty. Come get one with me now." 

"You are such a brat," Hayden hissed under her breath, begrudgingly following after her sister. 

"We'll be back later, you guys," Hailey called, waving them off when they tried to follow. 

The ballroom had filled up quickly by that point. It seemed like all the parents had arrived with some exceptions, the adults mingling in with the girls so fluidly like they themselves went to school with them. If Hailey had been in a better mood, she would've floated between all the circles, introducing herself and making connections, but she hated that she didn't have the motivation to muster up even a small smile for some of the big politicians. It was a shame; the atmosphere was very festive and light, perfect for a socialite like Hailey. 

"What's the point in talking to me privately if you're just going to make us leaving sound so suspicious?" Hayden asked, annoyed. She stuck close to Hailey's back, shadowing her footsteps as they maneuvered around the crowd.

"What's eating at you?" Hailey wondered, dodging a dancing couple who were too close to the edge of the dance floor. She heard a hurried apology and waved them off. They ducked behind a pillar, meandering towards the open doors that led outside. It was warm out, humid like it had just rained. 

Meeting her sister's distracted eyes squarely, for just a moment, Hailey forgot about the ball and them getting caught by the Chairman, those thoughts of worry and fear floating away as she looked at Hayden. It was like they were in their own little bubble that was impenetrable. This was their bond, the ability to know when the other was thinking too hard about something and needed the other to step in before it consumed them. Looking into her green orbs, Hailey's throat closed up slowly, chokingly, like she was about to cry, but it was more than that to her. 

They'd always been close. Nothing could separate the two of them. Whatever was bothering Hayden, she'd dig for an answer to give to her sister, just like Hayden would do the same for her. Hailey's heart warmed a bit. 

"It's not important," Hayden deflected indifferently.  

Hailey glowered at her. "You've been snippy with me ever since we were getting ready and that was hours ago. I know that's normal, but your foul moods don't typically last this long. Answer my question, Sis." 

Hayden's entire body was stiff, tense to the point that she looked about ready to take off at a moment's notice. Her expression said she really didn't want to be having this talk and she really didn't want to be here, but she pursed her lips and said, "I just have a bad feeling." 

"If you have a bad feeling, then you have a bad feeling," Hailey countered, crossing her arms. The action made her hotter with the stifling heat and she quickly uncrossed them. "You've never doubted your gut instinct before. Why are you ignoring it now?" 

Hayden looked away. "It's a ball. What could possibly go wrong here of all places?" 

"We say that our schools in America are supposed to be the safest place in the world and we've had some of the worst shootings in the past ten years," Hailey objected. "Anything could go wrong with this many people in one place." 

"You make it sound like there's a terrorist here or something." 

Hailey shrugged. "Maybe there is." She straightened up to her full height, her sister latching onto the action intently. "Don't hide stuff like that from me. You know I'll never not believe you." 

Hayden ran a furious hand through her hair, ruffling the already messy curls. "I know, I know. I can't describe what I'm feeling, but it's just..."

"Don't say paranoia cause we both know it's not that. You're scarily accurate with your bad feelings." 

"But nothing's even  _happened_ ," Hayden rebutted. "I haven't seen anything that could warrant this." 

Ah, so she was staking out the guests when she left. 

"Maybe we should go find the Chairman?" Hailey suggested, talking over her sister's vehement protests. "Look, he's the one who organized this thing. If anything's out of place, he'd know. Maybe he can ease your worries a little bit." 

"I don't want to see him," Hayden protested, scowling as she pulled away from her. 

"So we got in trouble. Who cares?" Hailey rolled her eyes. "First time for everything and that was the only time he's ever caught us personally. You can't hold a grudge against him forever." 

"Watch me." 

" _Sis_."

"It bothers me that he got so defensive over a stupid container," Hayden exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "It's a container! Why get so angry over something like that? It'd be different if he'd be upfront and tell us that it was a personal thing, but he didn't even give us that!" 

"You know he doesn't have to tell us everything." Hailey frowned disapprovingly. "You're being a hypocrite, Sis. You always say that nobody owes an explanation for their actions, but here you are trying to condemn the Chairman for doing exactly that."

"Aren't Fathers supposed to be open with their kids?" Hailey was shocked to realize Hayden hadn't even noticed her slip up, but didn't call her out on it. 

She lowered her voice. "Even Fathers are allowed to keep things hidden. Skeletons stay locked away in closets for a reason and we'd be stupid to think he doesn't have any." 

Green eyes hazed over, long auburn bangs hovering over them. "I want to leave this place. I want to go home." 

Hailey's heart gave a painful lurch and her shoulders slumped. Looking at Hayden, Hailey contemplated whether she should have another go at the Chairman for graduating early. Maybe it was too soon to bug him after their latest stunt, but...they weren't happy here. It confounded both of them as to why their Mother sent them here of all places before she disappeared, but they'd never questioned it for long, merely accepted the moment for what it was before the thought popped up again and had them wondering just what exactly she had been thinking. 

Wouldn't their Mother have wanted them to be happy? Isn't that what every parent wanted for their child? If that was the case, then surely when they found her again, she wouldn't be too angry at them for leaving before they were scheduled to. 

"Everything just seems to be spiraling out of control," Hayden continued. "We've been here for so long and have never had problems like this. I don't want to pin the blame on Saya, but ever since she came here, more and more questions have been filling my head, but they have no answers to them and no one will fill in the blanks for us. Why are things being kept from us? What's with all these secrets? I don't understand."

"We don't have to stay," Hailey whispered after a moment. She could feel the laser-like focus emitting off her sister now, silently inquiring what she meant. "We can leave, you know? Pack our stuff and go. It wouldn't be hard for us to get by. We're both smart, we can work until we can afford plane tickets, and then we can leave. It'll take us awhile, but it can happen. We don't have to stay here anymore if you're unhappy."

"You're unhappy, too," Hayden said bitterly. "You shouldn't be."

Hailey scoffed. "Even I'm capable of being unhappy and depressed from time to time." She grasped her sister's smaller hand, clenching it tightly, trying to convey what she was feeling because _damn it_ , she was struggling to put what she was feeling into words and she wanted Hayden to understand, too.  

"Is that what you want?" Hayden's voice was soft, barely heard to Hailey's ears. 

"It doesn't matter what I want." Hayden glared at her, lips curling. "I'll follow you wherever you go. Whether it's traveling for the rest of our lives or settling down immediately, I don't care. So long as I'm not left behind, I'll go with you." 

God, that sounded like Hailey was proclaiming her undying love for her sister, but, she paused, maybe in a sense, it was true. She loved her sister. No matter what she did or what she said, she was family. They'd both lost family and they were raised to believe that family was important. Family was there for you when no one else was. And considering the circumstances, they were all the other had. They had to be there for each other, out of obligation or want, it wasn't an off and on option. 

_I'd do anything for her. Anything._

"Carla?" Hayden froze, stiffening in place as Hailey's eyes widened. That name...she hadn't heard that name in so long. Hayden made a choking noise, pressing a hand to her chest as if she were struggling to breath. 

"How do you know that name?" Hailey whispered, unable to look away from the beautiful woman with grey eyes who stood mere feet away, shock clear as day on her face. 

She knew her Mother.  _She knew Carla._ Oh God, would this be the day they both finally—

"Now's not the time for you to learn that yet." Suddenly, Hailey's vision went black. A blindfold, she belatedly realized, and oh, she recognized that voice, too. Pain erupted from the back of her neck and then she was falling, caught by arms she didn't recognize. Someone screamed and there was the click of what she thought was a gun. She heard Hayden's piercing cry just before she lost consciousness. 

_"What the hell are you doing?! Hailey!"_

* * *

He had to give credit to Van for being persistent. He truly was a scientist down to the core and wouldn't take no for an answer. Hunting him down at the ball like that just for something as trivial as experiment results. Especially ones he already knew about. Honestly, Solomon thought Van just needed to loosen up a bit more. He'd have a bit more fun if that were the case. 

And then Saya...

This was his first time meeting her and he'd done so unintentionally, merely wanting to ignore the stares of the fickle girls eyeing his appearance in favor of the one who didn't care who he was and was actually  _disappointed_ when they made eye contact. She'd been a wonderful dancer, the chemistry sparking between them strong and burned brighter than the sun. There was something there between them, he could feel it. Was it like that for the others? Did they feel this connection with Saya just like with Diva? They were twins, after all. Was it so farfetched to believe connecting with the other Queen was possible in the same sense as being a Chevalier for the other one?

_Could I possibly get her to drop her grudge against Diva?_

Ah, that would be a dream come true. The Queens didn't have to fight to the death like they both swore to do. He didn't want Diva dead and after meeting Saya, maybe he didn't want her dead either. She seemed like a sweet and beautiful girl. He'd have to give it a try the next inevitable chance that he'd meet her. 

He never could've imagined the other Queen would be mingling around with such meaningless creatures. Brother Amshel had talked of her love for humans with no small amount of disdain, but Solomon hadn't completely realized that her love for them went this far. Karl had to be out of his mind to let her into the school, but it was also strange that Karl was even still alive. 

Was she still not fully awake? From what Karl had described of her brief awakening in Vietnam, she hadn't hesitated to attack everything in sight, even her own Chevalier. Amshel had said she had at least one Chevalier since the last time he'd seen her, but Solomon hadn't sensed one in the area at all. Strange and very careless. No Chevalier worth his salt would travel so far away from their Queen lest they risk her life. So far, he wasn't very impressed with the mystery protector.  

"Excuse you!" Van snapped, flailing back a step as someone shot past him. Brown hair and a skin-tight blue dress was all Solomon caught before someone ran full tilt into his back, an aggravated noise escaping their lips as they stumbled to his side clutching their face. 

Green met blue-grey. He blinked slowly. He'd never seen such green eyes before. Like freshly cut emeralds. 

He was instantly entranced with the girl's strange-colored hair. Auburn, possibly? He'd never seen such a vivid shade of orange and red mixed together before. In his many years of living, he'd met many redheads with different shades, but this was by the far the most exotic one he'd ever seen. It was like the fall leaves transformed into thick, curling strands that stretched towards the floor, just barely grazing the backs of knees. It complimented those eyes so well. Her skin was fair, the many-layered, forest-green dress she wore accenting how pale she was. Matching ribbons wrapped along her forearms and shoulders, a mockery of sleeves that didn't exist and a black lace choker encircled her neck.

_She was so tiny, like a gust of wind would blow her over._

"Excuse me," She said curtly, bowing her head before spinning and running after the first woman. Long hair grazed his cheek, bringing with it the scent of mint and tea leaves. 

What a strange combination. 


End file.
